Secrets of Ulduar
by Kyle G. Black
Summary: The unofficial novelization of the Ulduar raid! Brann Bronzebeard and a joint Alliance/Horde task force battle to end the threat of Yogg-Saron! New chapter finally available! Thanks for bearing with me while FF was being strange!
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

Though a seasoned explorer, Brann Bronzebeard occasionally found himself astonished by the beauty of his discoveries; Ulduar fell into this category.

He had led the expedition into the Storm Peaks, an area many had deemed too dangerous for exploration. The soaring mountain ranges and wild, unpredictable weather made exploration a seemingly impossible task. It had been thanks to Gnomish ingenuity that Brann had been able to venture into the tumultuous mountains; the crafted brilliant vehicles made from the resilient metals discovered in Northrend, Cobalt, Saronite, and Titanium. These durable vehicles, though not without their Gnomish instabilities, had allowed the Explorer's League to begin the exciting task of exploring and charting the mysterious Storm Peaks.

Finding Ulduar was not exactly a surprise; Brann knew of the legendary Titan city and had hard rumors that it was located deep within the Storm Peaks. Still, when he first laid eyes on the construction, he was astonished. He had found Ulduar, the great Titan metropolis, or so he thought.

Word of his discovery spread quickly through the different factions occupying Northrend and Brann soon found himself knee-deep in amateur explores, Alliance and Horde emissaries, and other intrepid souls. Brann normally would have been bothered by such a presence, but he soon found a use for the legions that came to see his discovery: he initiated them into the Explorer's League put them to work. After all, the Storm Peaks were a big place and there was much to discover.

Brann put his new adventurers to work all across the mountains, while he stayed at the main camp at Ulduar. Though not usually one to delegate, Brann was relieved to have such a massive reconnaissance force; it allowed him to focus all of his attention on studying Ulduar.

To his chagrin, Brann found himself unable to gain access to the main facility. The two satellite constructions, the fabled Halls of Stone and Halls of Lightning, stood open upon his arrival. Still, not matter what he did, Brann was unable to open the front gates of Ulduar.

After several weeks of denied access and frustration, the League finally got a break. One of Brann's teams had been working with a race of giants indigenous to the Storm Peaks: the Sons of Hodir. The group had been studying the mysterious sentry towers that litter the Storm Peaks. Through careful diplomacy and thorough investigation, the group earned the trust of the Sons of Hodir. They found that the group earned disgrace when they were framed by the titan Loken for the murder of Syf, the wife of the Titan called Thorim. The Explorer's League's representatives entered the Halls of Lightning on behalf of the Sons of Hodir to bring retribution upon Loken for his actions. At the moment of Loken's death, the defenses prohibiting Brann from entering Ulduar were instantly deactivated and access to the Titan city was granted.

Brann demanded that he be the first to enter, unaccompanied. His legions allowed him to do so.

Upon entering, Brann found himself at one end of a sprawling concourse, seemingly miles long. Scattered at the entrance to Ulduar were old siege vehicles, the origin of which, Brann did not know. He realized that he would not be able to travel the concourse, at least not by himself.

Disappointed, he turned to fetch the rest of his entourage when a small pad on the ground flickered to life. Brann excitedly ran to the contraption, curious to find out more. He studied the device for a few seconds before he decided to step onto it. As soon as his feet touched the pad, it roared to life. Surprised by sudden movement and a burst of air, Brann slammed his eyes shut, only opening them once the movement stopped. He found himself at the top of a staircase overlooking a large gallery. In the center of the gallery was a huge translucent globe. He immediately identified it as a Titan projection device, something he'd seen eons ago in the ruins of Uldaman.

Before he had a chance to approach the projection, a loud explosion boomed behind him. Brann wheeled around to find himself face-to-face with a gigantic stone monstrosity. It towered over Brann and grinded its massive fists together.

"Intruder!" It bellowed.

Brann trembled, unable to speak. Its eyes began to glow a radiant mixture of color.

"None shall pass!" It screamed as bright streams of energy radiated from its eyes.

Brann yelled and ran for the transporter. As it activated, the creature's beam passed over the pad, destroying it just as Brann was whisked back to the original pad at the gates.

He sat on the steps of the concourse, gasping for breath. Slowly, a frightening realization dawned on him. He had opened many doors during his career and, for the first time, he found one he wished he could close.


	2. The Situation

_Chapter 1_

Rhonin, the great leader of the Kirin Tor, eyed his Dwarven guest. Brann was obviously shaken. All of the typical joviality that Dwarves were known for had left him. Brann stood before the powerful Mage, somber and dire. The Dwarf had shown up at the Violet Citadel in Dalaran and demanded an audience with Rhonin. Though initially dismissive, he finally agreed to meet with the Dwarf, who was said to have a dire message related to the destruction of all life on Azeroth.

Brann had explained himself thoroughly to Rhonin, who immediately recognized the danger of Ulduar. He immediately sent for the leaders of the Horde and Alliance, Thrall and Varian Wrynn and was awaiting their arrival.

Suddenly, and without any warning, Varian Wrynn, the King of Stormwind, appeared inside Rhonin's chamber in the Violet Citadel, teleported in by his magical entourage that accompanied him. The King greeted Rhonin, recognizing the tension in the room.

"What's so urgent that I had to cancel my meeting with Highlord Tirion Fordring, Rhonin?" Varian barked.

Rhonin was stalling, waiting for his other guest to arrive.

"How are you, friend?" He deflected.

"I am well. What is the meaning of this summons?" Varian said impatiently.

"Have you met Brann Bronzebeard?" Rhonin said, further trying to stall.

Brann stepped forward, wiped some dirt from his shoulders , and bowed to the King.

"O'course I know Kin' Wrynn. The Kin'dom o' Stormwin' are proud sponsors o'the 'Splorer's League. Always a pleasure, sir." Brann said, faking a smile.

Varian nodded, acknowledging the Dwarf.

"Rhonin, why are you stalling? What's the urgent matter we needed to discuss?" Varian said, tapping his foot impatiently.

"I'm just waiting for another person to arrive before we get into discussing this matter. He'll be here any moment." Rhonin responded.

And just as he finished speaking, the doors to Rhonin's chambers were opened. In the arch stood Thrall and his companion, Garrosh Hellscream. Varian locked eyes with Garrosh immediately and the two drew their weapons.

"I thought I smelled the stench of Alliance here." Garrosh uttered.

"This one's mine." Varian said, as he began to charge at Garrosh.

Garrosh screamed and charged at Varian. Just as the two were about to come to blows, Rhonin intervened, trapping them both in place with a Frost Nova.

"Do you know how many Horde soldiers died as a result of our partnership with these dogs at the Wrathgate?" Garrosh barked at Rhonin.

"We have all lost something our fight against the Lich King. But the matters we must discuss today present an equally menacing threat. Please, Thrall, Varian, dismiss your entourages and let us brief you." Rhonin pleaded.

Thrall and Varian nodded at their respective cohorts. Varian's entourage teleported from the room, but Garrosh remained. Thrall put a hand on his shoulder and muttered something in Orcish. Garrosh turned, with one last menacing glance at Varian, and left the room.

Rhonin conjured up refreshments and beckoned his guests to sit at the beautiful table that stood in the center of his chambers. Varian, Thrall, and Brann all took a seat and helped themselves to conjured food. Rhonin joined them at the head of the table.

"Thrall, do you know Brann Bronzebeard" Rhonin asked, pointing to the Dwarf.

"I have heard of Bronzebeard and his exploits, but I have never had the pleasure of meeting this intrepid soul. It is an honor to meet you." Thrall said, nodding his head at Brann, who blushed.

"Good. I assume you have both have heard of his most recent expedition in the Storm Peaks then?" Rhonin continued.

"I believe both the Alliance and the Horde have sent representative to assist Bronzebeard in his activities in the Storm Peaks." Varian said, looking at Thrall, who nodded.

"Very good. Then I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that last week, Brann finally gained access to the main structure at Ulduar." Rhonin said, with a mischievous smile.

Both Varian and Thrall seemed unaware of the situation. They both shot impressed looks at Brann.

"Congratulations are in order then." Thrall said, raising his glass.

"I would not be celebratin' were I ye, sir." Brann said, in a quiet voice.

"Wait. Is this news of Ulduar what brings us here today?" Variann questioned.

"Aye. T'would seem I've created a mess'a'things." Brann said, eyes cast on the floor.

"I don't understand. Ulduar is supposed to be a beautiful Titan city, a unique construction left behind when the creators of Azeroth left the planet." Thrall asked, somewhat confused.

"That's what I was led ta believe. T'would seem our unnerstandin' of Ulduar's purpose was a bit skewed." Brann responded, lifting his glass to his lips.

Varian's face contorted.

"So what is Ulduar's purpose, if it's not a city?" He demanded.

"T'would seem Ulduar's a prison. We've done some research and read some texts foun' in the Halls-o-Stone an' Lightnin' that surround Ulduar." Brann responded nervously.

"And what of them!" Varian screamed.

"Please Varian, have patience. Brann has been kind enough to meet with you and you must understand the troubling nature of his discovery." Rhonin said calmly.

"I ken say no more. Rhonin would ye…" Brann said, slumping into his seat.

"Of course, Brann." Rhonin said as he stood.

He walked to one of the bookshelves and selected a rather ancient-looking text.

"I'm not sure how to say this, so I'll just come right out with it. We've found another Old God, and he's locked inside Ulduar, for now." Rhonin said, avoiding eye contact with Thrall and Varian.

They both looked surprised and worried.

"Many lives were lost in the fight against C'Thun at the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj. And with our forces closing in on Icecrown Citadel, we don't have many bodies to spare right now." Thrall said, uneasily.

"I'm confused. Why do you say that the Old God is locked in Ulduar _for now_." Varian said, grinding his teeth.

"The Old God locked inside Ulduar is called Yogg-Saron. He is the Old God of Death." Rhonin said as he opened the book to a saved page and slammed it on the table. "This page represents the total knowledge we have of Yogg-Saron and his powers. If the scrawlings on this page are to be believed, we face a threat even more powerful than C'Thun and just as menacing as the Scourge."

"Old God of Death?! I don't like the sound of that." Varian scoffed.

"It's much worse, Varian. Yogg-Saron is also said to be a great deceiver, hearing just one of his whispers can drive an intelligent mind to insanity or, even worse, force that person to become a servant of the Old God." Rhonin said apprehensively.

"So why does Yogg-Saron present such a threat? How much trouble could we have done just by simply opening the gates of Ulduar? If Yogg-Saron was imprisoned there by the Titans, surely there are much stronger safeguards in place to keep Yogg-Saron or his influence from escaping." Thrall said, trying to maintain calm.

"Well that's just the problem. Brann should not have been able to enter Ulduar. The gates of Ulduar were never supposed to open, not even if the Titans returned. Clearly, something is wrong inside Ulduar." Rhonin said.

"Do we know anything about the security mechanisms inside?" Varian questioned.

"Through research, Brann discovered that there were four Titans left to guard Yogg-Saron. If the gates of Ulduar have been opened something has happened to them. Either they've been killed or, even worse, they've fallen to Yogg-Saron's influence. We need to go into Ulduar and see what's wrong. If Yogg-Saron is gaining power and has corrupted his captors, he _will_ escape and quickly spread his influence around the planet. We could expect his influence to be global in a matter of _days_, if he were to escape." Rhonin said, the urgency in his voice clear.

No one said anything for a few minutes. Thrall and Varian sat in deep reflection, each trying to imagine how to divide their forces between the fight against the Scourge and the new threat inside Ulduar.

"If we divide our forces and send a presence into Ulduar, then what's stopping The Lich King from catching us with our defenses down?" Varian asked.

"The Lich King's campaign has been entirely defensive. Since you've arrived in Northrend, he's been holed up inside Icecrown Citadel, no doubt bolstering the defenses. He expects us to come to him. If he can force us to fight on his terms inside his house, then he'll have the upper hand when we finally breakthrough the gates in Icecrown and Dragonblight. I do not think we are putting ourselves at great risk by sending some bodies into Ulduar." Rhonin said affirmatively.

"And just who will lead this campaign inside Ulduar?" Thrall said, glancing at Varian.

"I propose that the Kirin Tor, Alliance, and Horde combine forces and fight under the flag of the Explorer's League, under the command of Brann Bronzebeard." Rhonin said, gesturing at the Dwarf.

"That's absurd. No offense to Brann intended, but he's not a military general, he's an explorer. How could he hope to command such a massive force?" Varian scoffed.

"He's the best man for the job. He knows the most about Ulduar and he'll be able to help us navigate the unseen dangers of Ulduar. If you each select a lieutenant to lead your forces to Ulduar, then you can just have them act as a liaison between Brann and the rest of your troops." Rhonin offered. "I will be leading the Kirin Tor troops under the Explorer's League banner. I suggest that you each pick a trusted commander and focus your attention on the Scourge."

"That sounds great in theory, Rhonin, but do you expect our forces to be so willing to pair up, especially considering how things went at the Wrathgate?" Thrall asked.

"You both understand the threat that we face in an Old God. I need not remind you, Thrall, of how powerful C'Thun was. And I'm sure Varian has heard about the destruction that _that_ Old God spread." Rhonin said, glancing at Varian.

"Some of my generals still tell horrible tales of the fight against C'Thun. And though I was not around during that campaign, I am aware of threat that we faced. I do not think we should let this situation rest right now. It is better to eliminate the threat now, then have to deal with it when Yogg-Saron reaches his full powerful. The Alliance will be present in the fight against Yogg-Saron, you have my word." Varian said, nodding his head.

"The Horde too will assist in the expedition." Thrall echoed.

"Very well. We are forming a temporary partnership for the good of the planet. Brann, you are going to be in charge of a very large force. I will be there to assist you at every step of the way." Rhonin said, covering his heart with his right hand.

Brann nodded, still to sullen to speak. Varian and Thrall nodded in agreement. Then, all four leaders stood, acknowledged each other, and began to part ways. Varian and Thrall thanked Rhonin for their hospitality, offered reassurances to Brann, and departed.

Rhonin approached Brann and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I ken help feel wholly responsible fer this mess." Brann said, dejectedly.

"Brann, you've spent your career trying to uncover the greatest mysteries of Azeroth. I would be somewhat disappointed if you didn't accidentally destroy the world at some point." Rhonin responded with a smile.

Brann chuckled and patted Rhonin's hand.


	3. The Commanders

_Chapter 2_

Skorrn Thunderfoot was nervous about his meeting with Thrall. He had met with supreme ruler of the Horde many times, but had never been personally summoned to his chambers in Orgrimmar, especially not at the wee hours of the morning. But Skorrn had obliged and hastily flown over to Orgrimmar.

As he entered Thrall's chambers, an Orc beat a large drum several times and announced Skorrn.

"Lieutenant General Skorrn Thunderfoot, Shaman lord of the Thunderfoot clan!" The Grunt bellowed.

Skorrn was confused by the announcement as only Garrosh Hellscream and Thrall sat in the hall, and they both outranked him, which meant that no introduction was necessary. Skorrn was puzzled.

"That introduction was not necessary, you mindless peon." Garrosh barked.

The grunt hung his head in shame and excused himself from the court. Skorrn approached Thrall's seat and bowed to the Warchief.

"Lok'tar ogar!" Skorrn bellowed, slamming his right fist to his heart.

Thrall dismissed the gesture.

"We must get down to business right away. Please, have a seat. Garrosh, will you please excuse us?" Thrall said, turning his attention to his second-in-command.

Garrosh grunted and obliged, exiting the room angrily.

"I imagine this is an urgent manner, Warchief?" Skorrn asked nervously.

"Yes. We're faced with a dire situation in Northrend. I'm aware that you have just returned from a long stay in the frozen north, but I'm afraid I must ask you to return." Thrall responded.

"Of course, Warchief. What new campaign has the Lich King launched against our forces in Northrend? News from the battlefront is sparse here in Kalimdor." Skorrn asked, innocently.

"I'm afraid a new threat has emerged, something just as dangerous as the Scourge and all the more pressing." Thrall responded.

_More pressing than the Scourge?_ Skorrn thought.

"You fought at the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj, did you not?"

"Yes. The fight against C'Thun and his forces was grueling. Many of my friends died there." Skorrn bowed his head.

"Another Old God has emerged. His name is Yogg-Saron. He is a prisoner inside the Titan facility called Uludar, which is located in the Storm Peaks." Thrall said bluntly.

"Has he escaped?"

"No, but the defenses of Ulduar are weakened. We cannot let his influence go unchecked for another moment. We are allocating some of our forces to a cooperative effort to enter Ulduar and further investigate the matter. I'd like you to lead our Horde forces in the expedition."

"This is indeed a great honor, and one I gladly accept. If I could ask, what are forces are contributing soldiers to this expedition?"

"You will be fighting under the banner of the Explorer's League led by Brann Bronzebeard. Also present will be Rhonin, who will be leading the Kirin Tor forces inside of Ulduar."

"Excellent. The Kirin Tor Mages have proved invaluable in our fight against the Lich king. Will there be any other forces present?"  
"There will be an Alliance presence. King Varian Wrynn is selecting a leader for his forces as we speak."

There was silence. Skorrn eyed the Warchief, who squirmed under the Tauren's gaze.

"A cooperative effort with the Alliance? So soon after the Wrathgate?" Skorrn questioned.

"Yes. We've been able to keep our feud with the Alliance at bay during our campaign against the Lich King, I'm sure that decorum will be maintained inside Ulduar. That is why I selected you for this position. As a Tauren, you do not hold as much hostility towards the Alliance as the Orcs do. I understand that it will be difficult, but I expect that you will keep our forces peaceful and cooperate fully with the Alliance. The safety of Azeroth is more important than any feud." Thrall said, confidently.

Skorrn nodded.

"Very well. I see the necessity in this partnership with the Alliance. I will lead our forces by example." He responded. "Have you made any selections for my Officers?"

"Yes. We have assembled a solid core to help you lead our forces. Is there anyone you would like assigned to this force?" Thrall asked.

"If it is no trouble, my wife, Stone Guard Alona Thunderfoot is currently part of the force trying to battle through Azjol-Nerub. It would be a great honor to have her by my side in this endeavor." Skorrn responded, his head pointed at the ground.

"Of course. I will have her reassigned to your force. When you arrive in Northrend, she will be waiting for you." Thrall obliged.

Skorrn nodded.

"Skorrn, I cannot stress the importance of maintaining peace with the Alliance during this operation. I expect some minor speed bumps and clashes as the expedition begins, but you _must_ keep the peace. We cannot afford to have our relationship with the Alliance and the Kirin Tor fall apart; we need their help to defeat the Lich King. The strain of the Wrathgate will be felt for a long time on both sides. We must do our best to move past the unfortunate events that transpired in Dragonblight that day." Thrall said, a sense of grave importance underlining the sentiment.

"Warlord Thrall, I will not disappoint you. I will lead our troops with strength and determination in Ulduar." Skorrn growled, pounding his chest proudly.

"You may speak with my Mage, Zul'Tok, when you are ready to teleport to Dalaran in Northrend." Thrall said, dismissing Skorrn.

"Lok'tar ogar, Warlord!" Skorrn bellowed and exited.

_A partnership with the Alliance will be difficult to manage._ Skorrn thought. _I do not anticipate that this will be an easy task. With Alona at my side, I will be as strong a leader as I can._

* * *

Illyria folded the letter and placed it back inside the envelope in which it had been delivered.

_Leading the Alliance soldiers in the fight against an Old God should be about as fun as assaulting the Molten Core was_. Illyria thought, shaking her head.

_Well, at least the Horde will be there to help this time._ She grimaced.

"Jacob? Jacob!" She said, attempting to summon her husband. He wheeled around the corner, alert.

"Did you receive one of these?" She asked, holding up her letter. He produced a letter that had been tucked inside of his breastplate.

"Yes. Do you know who is leading the expedition? My letter did not say." He responded.

"Yes. It's someone you know." She teased.

He stared at her. Despite her best efforts, a smile broke out across her face and she started giggling incessantly. A surprised and wide smile erupted on Jacob's face. He ran to her and picked her up in his arms. Twirling her around, he kissed her madly.

"This is magnificent! Congratulations!" He said, holding her tight.

"Jacob! Put me down! That's an order!" She said, grinning foolishly.

After a few more twirls and one last loving kiss, Jacob put his wife back on the ground. She found her footing and kept reading the letter.

"King Wrynn has assembled quit a force. The rest of my officers are very strong selections." She said, scanning the letter.

"Oh really? Who will we be with?" Jacob said, sitting down and lighting his pipe.

She crossed the room and opened a window. Below, Stormwind's marketplace bustled.

"They're sending a few other paladins along with us: Kaeg Lighthammer, Samuel Bane, and Justicar Turion the Lightsworn." She said, impressed.

"Justicar Turion? The Draenei?" Jacob asked.

"Do you know any other?" She responded.

"I was under the impression he was lost at the Wrathgate." Jacob mused. Illyria shrugged. "Who else?"  
"Captain Vilena Urione, a Draenei priestess. We served together in the campaign inside Tempest Keep. There's also a warrior named Dak and Alyssa Emeraldshade, a Druid." She said, putting the letter away.

"Sounds like an impressive team." Jacob said, extinguishing his pipe and standing up. "I suppose we should pack and head over to the Mage Tower to be teleported."

"Aye." Illyria agreed. She went to their room and opened her wardrobe. She grabbed her warm drapes to throw over her armor and stuffed them into a bag. Stripping down to just her undergarments, she carefully attached her plate armor, piece-by-piece.

After she finally attached the shoulder plates, she grabbed her headpiece and mace and walked past Jacob, who was also putting on his armor. She stood in the living room of their house.

She always became sad when she left home. She enjoyed Stormwind very much. Their house, overlooking the bank and auction house, was situated in the center of Stormwind's financial district, right near the front gates.

"Jacob? Are you ready?" Illyria asked, her impatience growing.

"Aye, milady." He said, clattering into the living room. As usual, he had been unable to fasten his shoulder plates correctly. He held them in his hands and shot an innocent glance towards Illyria. She smiled and put down her baggage.

She securely fastened the shoulder plates in place and ran a hand through her husband's hair. She threw her arms around him and planted a loving kiss on his lips. This was their last chance to exchange affections before heading into battle. They liked to keep their romance private, trying to maintain military decorum whenever they were in public and in uniform. He gazed into her eyes.

"You're going to shine, with the grace of the Light." He said, assuredly.

She nestled against his breastplate.

"I do hope so." She said, closing her eyes and enjoying their last moment of affection.


	4. Arrival at Ulduar

_Chapter 3_

"Commander Illyria Bilomir meet Lieutenant General Skorrn Thunderfoot." Rhonin said uneasily. The two leaders of the Alliance and Horde forces stood with their officers.

Nothing happened for a moment. The massive Tauren Shaman who stood before her easily dwarfed Illyria, an average-sized Human. She was nervous, but determined to make a good impression. She stepped forward, away from her entourage. She bowed to Skorrn.

"It is an honor to meet and server with you, Lieutenant General Skorrn Thunderfoot. May the Light be with you." She said, placing upon him the Blessing of Kings.

Skorrn was surprised by her humble nature. He generally found Humans to be arrogant and slovenly.

_She is a Paladin though. Their lot is a reverent bunch_. He remembered. He stepped forward and slammed his right fist to his chest. He bowed his head.

"The honor is mine, Commandr Bilomir." He said proudly. He slowly extended a hand. Illyria placed her hand in his hands and he gently shook it.

"Thank you Lieutenant General. And you may call Illyria." She said with a smile.

"And you may call me Skorrn." He returned the pleasantries.

_I hope the rest of her troops are as respectful and graceful she is_. Skorrn thought.

Their respective entourages stepped forward and exchanged heavily feigned pleasantries. No other handshakes were exchanged at the meeting, mostly just nods. No one besides Skorrn and Illyria spoke above a whisper. They were both somewhat disappointed with their officers, but did not wish to express their discontent with their officers' behavior in front of the other faction.

"Very good." Rhonin said, with a small smile. "Brann, I'd like you to brief them on the journey down the concourse."

Brann stepped forward, looking terribly nervous. He lifted his head and stared mindlessly at their officers assembled before him.

"Well um. Hello." He said, attempting to smile. Illyria shot him a reassuring smile. Skorrn nodded his head.

"Righ' then. We've got a lon' day ahead of us temorrow. As you can see, we've assembled a rather large force o' siege vehicles. Some were foun' here on this concourse and some were hastily thrown t'gether by the Gnomes in the 'Splorer's League. Either way, the vehicles are goin'te be our main form o' transportation down the concourse. Our bes' estimates place the journey at a full day o'ridin'." Brann said, gaining some confidence.

Skorrn and Illyria both moved over towards the vehicles that had been assembled. There were three types of vehicles. Skorrn was unpleased.

"Tell us more about these vehicles." He barked.

"Aye. There're three types o' siege vehicles. The big boys are siege engines; those're the ones we found here. Our Gnomes have reinforced with Titanium platin'. The siege engines are goin' ta lead the charge, as we assume they were built to take quite a beatin'. The smaller ones tha' look like catapults are the demolishers. These Gnomish vehicles are the offensive workhorse o' the expedition. They ken shoot artillery as well as launch pyrite bombs. The third group is the choppers. They dun't seem to have much of a purpose save layin' down some oil slick or pickin' up passengers." Brann said.

Skorrn eyed the choppers and demolishers with contempt.

"The demolishers and choppers are too small for the Tauren to ride in." He said impatiently.

Tharm, one of the Orc Warriors in Skorrn's entourage, approached his leader. He spoke loudly.

"The Gnomes have no consideration for the Horde. This is unacceptable and offensive." Tharm said, obviously trying to cause a problem.

"Tharm! Calm yourself. There are more than enough siege engines for us to drive. The Alliance will simply have to be responsible for driving the other two vehicles." Skorrn reasoned, looking at Illyria.

"The Kirin Tor Mages will drive the choppers." Rhonin interjected.

"Good. And the Alliance will be responsible for the demolishers. Wasn't that easy?" Illyria said, smiling.

Tharm grunted and was dismissed by Skorrn.

"Tha' was easy." Brann chirped. "Now, there're obviously more people than there are machines. You ken get three people into a siege engine, three in a demolisher, and two in a chopper. The res' of the troops will be loaded onto the cargo boxes and towed along by the siege engines."

Skorrn and Illyria nodded.

"We'll need a Kirin Tor Mage on each transport to maintain a shield, no doubt." Rhonin said.

"Shield? For what reason?" Skorrn asked.

"Did you think this was just a leisurely drive in the country?" Rhonin laughed. "This is going to be a full day of riding _and_ fighting. The concourse is heavily defended and at the end stands another heavily defended gate which we'll need to break through."

"Very well." Skorrn replied.

"Each o'the siege engines and demolishers have two gunner spots. We're in the process o' loadin' 'em up for temorrow's drive. It'll be fun." Brann said, finally wearing an authentic smile.

Illyria laughed. She brushed her hand against Skorrn's massive forearm.

"Don't you love that Dwarven sense of adventure?" She asked.

Skorrn grunted. Illyria caught the hint and recomposed herself.

"I'm going to go and prepare my troops. I'd like the Gnomes to brief my troops on demolisher operation once we've selected our riders, of course." Illyria said.

"And I would like the Horde operators to be briefed as well, once the Gnomes are done with their Alliance brief." Skorrn echoed.

Rhonin and Brann nodded. Illyria gathered her entourage and, after politely excusing herself, they departed.

Tharm approached Skorrn again. Skorrn was already weary of dealing with him.

"You let the Alliance be served before the Horde? What is this madness?" Tharm barked.

"That sounded suspiciously like a _Stone Guard_ questioning a decision made by a _Lieutenant General_." Skorrn said, berating the insolent Orc. He turned and faced his officers. "You all know that maintaining decorum with the Alliance is one of the directives from Thrall. Small concessions will be necessary in order to maintain a healthy relationship with our _partners_ during this campaign. If any of you have a problem with my methods, I will gladly relieve you of your duties and send you back to Orgrimmar." Skorrn boomed.

None of them said anything. Tharm quietly rejoined the pack. Skorrn faced Rhonin and Brann.

"My sincerest apologies for that embarrassing incident." Skorrn bowed his head. Rhonin and Brann dismissed the apology. "I do not think either of you have had the pleasure of meeting my officers."

They all stepped forward and waited to be introduce.

"First, this is my wife, Centurion Alona Thunderfoot." Skorrn said, beckoning his wife forward. She beat her chest and bowed to Rhonin and Brann. They nodded their heads.

"Next, Stone Guards Gash and Tharm, two of Orgrimmar's finest Warriors." Skorrn continued. Gash and Tharm continued the parade in front of Brann and Rhonin.

"Champion Zubra'Tonjin, one of the fiercest Warriors and most respect Trolls in all of the Horde." Skorrn said proudly.

Zubra acknowledged Rhonin and Brann, who reciprocated.

"Blood Guard Llana Ne'Thal, one of Silvermoon's most accomplished Mages."

Llana blessed Rhonin and Brann with Arcane Brilliance. A smile grew on Rhonin's face.

"I am familiar with Llana. She spent some time studying in Dalaran. She is one of the finest Mages not in the service of the Kirin Tor." Rhonin said coyly.

She bowed.

"And last, Professor Artrus Payson, one of the Forsaken's finest Warlocks." Skorrn concluded.

Professor Payson eyed Brann and Rhonin before nodding his head.

"You've a fine team, Skorrn." Rhonin acknowledge. They all bowed in unison.

"I will begin selecting my operators while we wait for the Gnomes to begin their demonstration." Skorrn pounded his chest and departed with his entourage.

Once they were gone, Brann exhaled sharply.

"That didn' go as badly as I though' it would've." He said, relieved.

"Yes. My hope is that the foot soldiers will follow the decorum that their officers presented here today." Rhonin sighed.

* * *

Jacob was already fast asleep when Illyria returned from her late-night meeting with Rhonin to discuss their final strategy for riding the concourse. She quietly removed most of her armor, careful not to wake Jacob. She dressed herself in her warm sleeping gown and left their tent.

She was surprised to find Skorrn sitting upon a rock not far from their tent. She quietly approached him. He seemed deep in meditation.

"Good evening, Illyria." Skorrn said, wheeling around to the surprised Human.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you." She apologized.

"I was just collecting my thoughts, you interrupt nothing." Skorrn assured her. He beckoned her to join him on the massive rock, a gesture which surprised Illyria. She climbed onto the rock and took a seat next to Skorrn.

"I must apologize for the behavior of…" Skorrn started.

"Please don't apologize for him. I know this partnership is difficult. I expect much resistance from the Horde, to be honest. Especially from the Orcs." She said quietly.

"I understand your concerns. Frankly, they are well founded. Considering everything that Orcs and Humans have been through, I expect outbursts like Tharm's along the way." Skorrn replied.

"We'll just have to do our best to keep our troops in line and maintain the peace." Illyria reassured.

"I could not have said it better myself." Skorrn responded. He was very impressed by Illyria and was sure she would live up to her word.

"I like you very much, Illyria. You are a patient and reverent being. I only hope the rest of your troops have but a tenth of your grace." He said.

Illyria blushed. She was astounded.

"Well, thank you, Skorrn. Thrall was wise to place a Tauren in charge of this operation. You've been very accommodating and diplomatic so far and I hope we can maintain a good relationship during the course of this partnership." She responded. She knew it would seem forced and unauthentic, but she really did like Skorrn. And she was glad the he liked her too.

"You must be frigid in that outfit. Please do not feel obliged to make yourself sick just to have a conversation with me." Skorrn said, an air of concern present in his voice.

"I suppose I had better get inside. The night air is a bit sharp here. Won't you be freeze to death out here?" She said, not even realizing that she was shaking from the cold.

"This breeze does not bother me. A Tauren's skin is thick; we are a well insulated bunch." Skorrn said, smiling for the first time since Illyria met him. They both laughed a little bit.

She placed a hand on his massive shoulder. He did not recoil.

"Good night, Skorrn." She said as she walked away.

"Good night, Illyria." He called after her.

Afer a few moments, the crunching of her boots in the snow had stopped and Skorrn was alone again. He resumed his meditation.

He was anxious for daybreak.


	5. Flame Leviathan Attacks

_Chapter 4_

Skorrn's siege engine could barely fit him. He was cramped inside the hot machine and had been for the last seven hours. His fur was dripping with sweat and he reeked of oil. In his gunner seats sat his wife, Alona, and one of the Orc Warriors, Gash. They had been working hard for the last three hours as the convoy fought through pack after pack of sentries.

Skorrn had not expected the journey up the concourse of Ulduar to be nearly this difficult. The Explorer's League Force, as the expedition had been named, had suffered surprisingly heavy losses when they were ambushed by a group of giants who destroyed a few of the siege vehicles the expedition had been using to ride down the concourse.

Their progress down the concourse had been difficult and slow. Skorrn was thankful that the Gnomes had outfitted all of the vehicles with heavy artillery. Every few miles or so, the convoy would be ambushed by another set of giants or, in some cases, groups of mechanized sentries.

They had arrived at the gates at the end of the concourse after seven hours of driving and fighting only to be ambushed by two massive, mechanical spiders, who had ravaged their convoy.

The Tauren leader of the Horde troops poked his head out of the top of the siege engine. They had apparently defeated the last of the concourse's guards. He grabbed the communicator that had been installed in every siege vehicle by the Gnomes.

"Illyria. That open area up ahead in front of the gates looks clear. I suggest we make camp there." His communicator buzzed.

"I agree. Let's start unpacking the troops and the supplies from the carriers attached to the siege engines." Her voice, garbled by crude communicator, had sounded almost non-Human.

Skorrn brought his vehicle to a stop and exited. By the time he dried off, most of the troops were already unpacked from the carriers and had begun offloading the supplies. They would make camp in front of the gates of Ulduar while the Gnomish demolition crew attempted to destroy the massive gates.

After several hours of frustrated attempts and many wasted explosives, the demolitionists reported to Brann, Rhonin, Skorrn, and Illyria that the gate could not be brought down without using the siege vehicles.

Rallying the already exhausted troops, the commanders of the expedition ordered that the siege engines and demolishers destroy the gates of Ulduar.

_More time inside this siege engine is the last thing I want right now_. Skorrn thought, frustrated by the close quarters.

The demolishers unloaded artillery while the siege engines used their reinforced battering rams to break down the gate. Progress was overwhelmingly slow and after three hours of attempting to break down the gate, it still stood, though heavily damaged.

"Won't be long now." Illyria's chirped into her communicator. "Push yourselves for a little bit longer, it's almost down."

Skorrn began to fall asleep when his communicator erupted.

"There's something behind the gate. It's headed right towards us!" A Gnome cried out.

Skorrn shot his head out of the siege engine, unable to see anything behind the massive gate. He listened closely, hoping to here the object that was apparently approaching their convoy, but was unable to hear anything over the roar of the siege vehicles.

"I don't see anything." He said to Alona. She shrugged. He sat back down in the siege engine when his communicator erupted again. The gate shook violently.

"All hands, fall back! There's something headed our way! Evasive action! Evasive act—" Brann screamed through the communicator before being interrupted.

Before Skorrn was able to react, the gate exploded. Out from the wreckage shot a massive, gold-plated siege engine. It easily dwarfed their own siege vehicles. Its abrupt and violent entry and had destroyed several of the siege engines trying to break down the gate.

Skorrn slammed his engine into reverse and threw up their shield.

"FALL BACK!" He screamed into the communicator.

He could hear screams and the other siege engines trying to retreat from the gate. He heard the giant tank come online.

"Hostile entities detected. Threat assessment protocol active. Flame Leviathan unit online." It said in a mechanical voice. It spun and faced Illyria and her team of demolishers, who had been further back than the siege engines. "Target acquired."

_Those demolishers are in trouble if this thing gets near them_. Skorrn thought. An idea clicked in his brain. He snatched his communicator.

"Those demolishers can't take a beating like our tanks. Choppers, get some oil to slow it down! All siege engines, charge! We'll try and get it to focus its attention on us. Shields up! Lok'tar ogar!" He screamed.

Illyria snatched her communicator.

"Get your demolishers as far away as possible. Once you've moved out of its range, blast it with pyrite" She said, as she threw her demolisher into the highest gear and fled from the Leviathan's pursuit.

She saw the siege engines roll in and begin pummeling the massive tank. As Skorrn predicted, the Leviathan focused it fire on the siege engines, unable to move past them.

_Thank the Light for Skorrn_. She tought, relieved.

She saw the Kirin Tor Mages circling the Leviathan on the choppers. The dropped oil in its path in attempt to slow it down if it managed to break past Skorrn's siege engines. Illyria smiled. She reached for her communicator.

"Skorrn, maintain your shields. I have an idea. Choppers, get some oil on the Leviathan. Great! Now, demolishers, light that oil on fire!" She screamed into the communicator.

Her demolishers opened fire on the fresh oil that covered the Leviathan. After a few seconds, the machine was engulfed in flames.

"Keep firing! Nuke it hard!" She boomed, a smile widening on her face.

The demolishers pounded the Leviathan with heavy artillery fire and pyrite bombs. It responded in kind by unleashing a swarm of rocket fire upon the siege engines gathered at its base.

_Smart girl_. Skorrn thought.

"Won't the fire spread to our vehicles?" Alona screamed from her turret.

"The shields should hold. I'm more worried about all this rocket fire coming from the top of that machine." He responded, snatching his communicator.

"Illyria, take out those cannons on top of the Leviathan!" He barked.

"Roger that! All demolishers, focus your fire on the missile turrets on top of the Leviathan!" She ordered. Her gunners obeyed. Within a few seconds, each unleashed a barrage of artillery fire onto the guns perched on top of the Flame Leviathan.

After a full minute of heavy fire, the guns still operated, furiously pounding away at the siege engines, whose shields were starting to buckle.

"Hold your fire, demolishers!" She screamed into the communicator. They halted and she waited for the smoke to clear.

_Clever_. She thought.

The turrets were housed inside of heavily shielded boxes.

"Our ammo can't harm those turrets. The only way to get them is to fly up there…" She said.

"…and dismantle 'em ourselves!" Boomed Kaeg Lighthammer, one of Illyria's officer. The Paladin had loaded himself into one of the launchers and shot a thumbs-up to Illyria.

"Get out of there!" She screamed.

"No. It's the only way. Launch me up there!" He smiled.

_It's crazy enough to work_. She thought, snatching her communicator.

"All demolishers, load one of your…gunners…into your catapults. Toss them up there so they can dismantle the rocket turrets!" She said, hesitantly.

Her other gunner, Jacob, nervously fired Kaeg towards the Leviathan. The Dwarf screamed, half in horror, half in delight as he hurtled towards the tank. He grabbed the grappling hook that hung from his belt and attached it to the top of the machine as he whizzed by. It connected and Kaeg easily scaled the side of the machine.

More gunners joined him, though a few of them missed with their grappling hooks or had been thrown in the wrong direction by their gunners. Those unfortunate souls came to a grinding halt when they connected with the ground, instantly killing them. Kaeg said a brief prayer for their souls and began to dismantle every object on top of the Leviathan.

After destroying the turrets, Kaeg spotted a small box perched right underneath the Leviathan's main gun. He ran over to it and opened it. Inside there was circuitry and lots of glowing buttons. Kaeg didn't know exactly what it was, but he determined that it was important to the Leviathan's operations. He smashed it with his mace and the Leviathan immediately reacted.

"System malfunction. Combat matrix overload. Diverting power to support systems. Deactivating weapon systems. System restart required. Powering down…" It announced, as its functions ceased to operate.

Kaeg smiled. He didn't think that he had permanently destroyed the tank, but he hoped it would be long enough for the siege vehicles to do some major damage to the tank.

_Blast. The siege vehicles! They canno' fire when we're up here!_ Kaeg remembered.

Just then, he heard a voice cry to him from the base of the Leviathan.

"Kaeg! You all need to get down from there." Rhonin screamed up from the base, a team of choppers waiting for them. "Jump and we will slow your fall!"

Kaeg and company obeyed. The Kirin Tor Mages slowed their fall and guided each of them into the passenger seat of the choppers.

"Get us back te our demolishers. There's work te be done!" Kaeg proclaimed enthusiastically. The Mages hastily carried their passenger back to their demolishers.

* * *

Illyria didn't know what Kaeg and his troops had done, but it had powered down the Leviathan.

"DESTROY THAT MACHINE!" She boomed through the communicator. All the demolishers unleashed a barrage of artillery; efforts were double once the missing passengers had been returned to their rides.

The Leviathan took heavy damage before it shuddered back to life. Illyria swore, but she knew that the down-time had given their army a significant advantage. The tank stayed in place.

"Main defenses powered down. Orbital defense detected. Orbital defense coming online." It buzzed.

_Orbital defenses?_ Illyria thought. It was only then that realized there were four ornate pillars overlooking the courtyard they fought in. She swore again. One-by-one they were activated, each glowing a distinct color.

"Thorim's Hammer online. Hodir's Fury online. Freya's Ward online. Mimiron's Infenor online. Orbital defenses engaged." And just as the machine finished activating the its auxiliary defense, chaos was unleashed upon the expedition's vehicles.

* * *

_What fresh madness is this? _Skorrn thought. His question was soon answered. As each defense system powered up, new weapons began beating down on the vehicles.

Destructive thunderbolts blew apart siege engines with a mere touch, biting cold slowed any vehicle that crossed its path, a raging tower of flames singed all of the machines, and gigantic _flower_ monstrosities began ravaging the vehicles and killing the drivers.

Skorrn was overwhelmed by the chaos. He snatched his communicator in a daze.

"Continue to fire at the Flame Leviathan. These defenses must be part of its final programming!" Skorrn said, feigning confidence.

But that had been a tall order. The "orbital" defenses ravaged the vehicles. Skorrn deftly piloted his engine through the madness that surrounded him. The weapons fire against the Flame Leviathan had drastically reduced.

_We cannot fall this easily. We haven't even begun_. He thought. He racked his brain for a solution and came up with just one. He hesitantly reached for his communicator.

"All siege engines, reroute all power from weapons to engines. Move as far back as you can." He said calmly.

He retreated and the siege engines that remained active followed him. They took a position far away from the Leviathan which, since no longer hampered by the siege engines, focused its attention on the demolishers. Skorrn didn't have long to carry out his plan. He waited for the Leviathan to get further away from the siege engines. Once it reached its maximum distance, Skorrn threw his siege engine into high gear and charged.

"RAM IT!" Skorrn screamed, his engine hurtling towards the Leviathan.

* * *

Illyria watched in horror as the siege engines flew across the concourse.

"Skorrn! Stop!" She screamed into the communicator, but it was too late.

The siege engines plowed, one after another into the side of the Flame Leviathan. Each blow halted the massive tank and destroyed more and more of it. When the charge was over, the Leviathan buckled. The absence of the lower defenses and movement mechanisms caused the tank to implode upon itself. Still, it's upper half remained intact and directed all of the orbital countermeasures towards the demolishers.

"DESTROY THAT THING!" Illyria bellowed as her own demolisher unleashed a fury of ammunition at the Leviathan. A flurry of shells, bombs, and any other bunt object the gunners could find was immediately hurtled towards the Leviathan.

The Kirn Tor Mages dismounted from the choppers and unleashed a fury of Arcane, Frost, and Fire spells upon the Leviathan.

Its remaining pieces did not last long against the offensive apocalypse unleashed upon them. Just as the orbital countermeasures closed in on the demolishers, the Leviathan powered down.

"Total systems failure. Defense protocols breached. Orbital countermeasures offline. Flame Leviathan Unit shutting down…" It moaned, as all of its systems ceased to function.

Illyria immediately fled from her demolisher and ran into the wreckage.

"Skorrn? Alona? Anyone?" She screamed, frantic.

Something tried to move under a pile of scrap and Illyria ran to it. She began clearing pieces of debris and found Alona struggling to get up. Illyria grabbed her by the shoulders and hoisted her up.

"You didn't think the Horde would give up that easily? Did you?" Alona said, with a smile running across her exhausted face. Illyria laughed and embraced the Tauren. She looked around and saw more bodies climbing out from the wrecked siege engines. Skorrn was one of them, he found Illyria and Alona and ran to them.

"Thank the Light you're alright!" Illyria exclaimed happily, as Skorrn, shaken and mildly injured embraced his wife. Illyria blessed him with the Light and healed most of his wounds.

"Thank you." He said quietly. She nodded and patted his arm.

Brann and Rhonin joined them. Each of them looked absolutely exhausted. The color had yet to return to Rhonin's face.

"You gave us a scare there, Skorrn." He said, gasping for breath.

Skorrn smiled.

"Let's get our troops some rest." Skorrn said calmly.

The Gnome Engineer asked permission to rummage through the wreckage, trying to salvage what they could. Brann allowed them to. He led the remaining back to the camp and bid them all a good night. Silence fell over the camp quickly.

* * *

The Gnomes worked all night tearing through the junk pile, all that was left of the Flame Leviathan. Shortly before daybreak, one of the exhausted Gnomes found a small chest that had been imprinted with a rune. He popped it open and saw two shining treasures inside.

Rhonin, who had been watching the Gnomes with one eye open stumbled over to the Gnome who had discovered the box.

"Give me that." He commanded. The Gnome sadly placed the box in Rhonin's hand, who held up each bauble.

The first treasure was a small, ornate orb, emblazoned with glowing runes. It fit in the palm of his hand, but was more dense than an object of its size ought to be. Rhonin examined the runes, written in some language he did not know. He placed the orb back in the box and withdrew the second treasure.

It was a fragment, but of what, Rhonin could not be sure. As best as he could tell, it looked like a piece of some weapon, perhaps a mace or a sword. He racked his brain for some recollection of a weapon dwelling in Ulduar but found nothing. He closed the box and ushered the Gnomes to the tents.

Sitting alone, Rhonin decided that he would let Brann determine the nature and origin of the mysterious objects in the morning.

_Just what we need,_ he thought_, one more mystery._

Rhonin closed his eyes.


	6. The Campground

_Chapter 5_

Brann stared at the two glowing treasures Rhonin had presented him. Illyria and Skorrn stood at Rhonin's side. He picked up the orb and smiled, instantly recognizing the runes inscribed on it.

"Aye. These runes are ancient Titan. While I'm not too familiar with 'em meself, I've a few linguists in the League who could probably pick out a few words here an' there." Brann nodded. He put the orb back in the box and picked up the fragment.

"This s'what really intrigues me." He said, putting on his microscopic glasses. He held up the fragment and examined it for quite some time. "It looks lie' a hilt to sem sort of…" His face lit up.

"Brann, what is it?" Rhonin, though pleased with Brann's fascination, was irked by his silence. Brann ran into his tent. Rhonin heard a lot of shuffling and things falling over. He impatiently tapped his foot, waiting for the Dwarf to return.

"I've got it!" Brann said, running at from his tent, with a beaming smile running across his face, a notebook hanging in one of his hands. He thrust the notebook into Rhonin's chest and went back to examining the fragment. Rhonin carefully opened the notebook, which had the words "Ulduar" scribbled on the cover, to a page that Brann had earmarked.

"Val'anyr, the Hammer of Ancient Kings?" Rhonin read aloud. "I've never heard of it."

"Val'anyr is an ancient, legendary weapon that is sai' te be the physical embodimen' of the power o'creation." Brann informed. "It's said te posses some sert'a supreme healin' power."

Skorrn smiled. He had spent his life studying the Shaman voodoo magic as a healer, one of the finest healers in all of the Horde. His skill as a healer was matched only by his skill as an officer, something Thrall had immediately recognized in him. In a rare moment of selfishness, he decided that Val'anyr would be his.

Rhonin had finished reading all of Brann's notes on the weapon.

"It says that Val'anyr was given to the king of the Earthen," Rhonin turned to Skorrn, "the ancestors of the Dwarves, and he used it to give life to all his brethren. The hammer was apparently destroyed in a war between the earthen and the iron dwarves that took place inside Ulduar. If this really is a fragment of Val'anyr, it would make sense that we would find it in here." He asserted.

Illyria nodded her.

"What do we do with this?" She asked.

"We find the rest of the pieces and assemble the hammer." Skorrn responded immediately.

"Who will wield such a powerful weapon?" She said, angrily fixing her attention on Skorrn.

Rhonin, detecting a conflict erupting, interjected.

"We'll never find all the pieces. And if we do, and only if we do, will we decide who will wield this powerful tool." He commanded. Illyria and Skorrn backed down.

Brann carefully placed the fragment back into the box.

"An' where did ye say this come from?" He asked Rhonin.

"It was found by one of your Gnome engineers inside the wreckage of the Flame Leviathan." He responded.

"All wrapped up in this 'ere box?" Brann continued.

"It would appear as though someone inside Ulduar wants to give us something." Rhonin nodded.

Illyria and Skorrn both agreed. Finding the fragment and the orb were one thing, but finding them in such a neat and obviously hand-crafted container was a quite different story.

"Well, we've got one piece and one orb. We shouldn't tell anyone about them. We'll let Brann keep them safe for now. Agreed?" Rhonin asked his fellow commanders. They both nodded. Brann took the small box and ran back to his tent, eager to stash their find.

* * *

Once the expedition cleared the wreckage from the gate that the Flame Leviathan had crashed through, they found their progress hampered by yet another gate. Without their siege engines, crashing through this new gate was an impossible task.

In front of the gate were two openings into two very different areas of Ulduar. To the left of the gate stood a raging furnace, with stone sentries standing in two perfectly formed lines around the furnace. To the right of the gate stood an open ground, with nothing but sky above it.

Deciding that the open ground would make an ideal place for a temporary settlement, the expedition quickly began to unload their supplies from the vehicles that remained. Many of the Horde soldiers grew impatient with the mundane task of unloading shipment and they confronted Skorrn, begging for a chance to explore Ulduar and fight. He took their complaints and went to Rhonin and Brann.

"I see." Rhonin said, a grimace spreading across his face. "Brann, do we know what that furnace is for?"

"If our studies our right, it's the home of one Ignis the Furnace Master. He'a gian' blacksmith who can create powerful stone sentries, like the ones lining that concourse. He dudn't present much of a threat, 'specially if he's holed up in there." Brann said, unimpressed by Ignis.

"Skorrn, why don't you take your forces and investigate the forge and the surrounding areas? Those sentries in there are sentient beings and probably server to deter intruders from interrupting Ignis. I'm sure they'll be enough to sate your soldiers' bloodlust." Rhonin said, dismissing Skorrn, who bowed and took leave.

He immediately informed his officers of the plan and word spread through the Horde ranks. Within minutes, they had all stopped carrying cargo and had geared up for battle.

Illyria noticed the work stoppage and cautiously approached Skorrn, who was donning his full battle regalia. She thought he was dressed quite ferociously, which surprised her since he was a healer.

"What's the meaning of this?" She asked, her impatience obvious.

"Do you see that forge over there?" Skorrn pointed towards the raging furnace in the distance.

"Yes. What of it?" Illyria responded.

"We going to go kill something over there. You stay here and unpack." Skorrn said, trying to escape Illyria, who laughed.

"You're kidding, right?" She eyed the Tauren.

"No. There's something over there that requires the immediate attention of…" Skorrn halted.

"Of what?" She pressed.

"…of our weapons." Skorrn responded. "We don't need the same creature comforts as you do. The Horde is used to roughing it. All we need is a space of land to sleep in. These fancy tents are meaningless to us."  
"I see." She said, unimpressed.

"So we'll go kill some things while you set up your camp." He said, making a fast pace away from Illyria, who just laughed and shrugged.

Skorrn was grateful to get away from her. He knew she wouldn't understand and he didn't feel like wasting his time trying to explain it to her. He quickly returned to where his soldiers had been suiting up for battle.

"Soldiers of the Horde, fall in!" He bellowed and watched as his troops assembled. "We're going over to that forge over there to kill Ignis the Furnace Master and his stone sentries. The battle will be difficult and long, I'm sure. Steel yourselves and sharpen your wits. Lok'tar ogar!" He pounded his chest.

"Lok'tar ogar!" The soldiers echoed his cry.

He turned in place and began the march to the furnace. After his confrontation with Illyria, he felt the need to battle rising.

* * *

Not long after the Horde soldiers departed, the remaining expedition forces finished setting up camp. Illyria had noticed scorch marks all around the ground they had colonized. Rhonin and Brann assured her there were leftover scars from the ancient war that had raged inside Ulduar; she was not so quick to believe them.

It had been hours since the Horde soldiers had left, and they had made no communication with the expedition. Illyria wasn't worried, she knew of the ferocity with which even the lowliest of Horde soldiers fought. Night had begun to fall over the camp and Illyria was astonished by the view the open sky provided. She sat on the giant set of steps that led back to closed gate that impeded their march into Ulduar. Jacob joined her.

"The stars are gorgeous here." She said, resting her head on his shoulder. He ran a hand through her hair.

"They most certainly are." He fixed his gaze upwards. "How are you handling this partnership…"

A screech pierced their intimate silence. Illyria threw her hand over his mouth. She stood, alert.

"Did you hear that?" She asked.

"Hear what?" He responded.

"That screech." She said nervously.

Jacob had heard it, but thought nothing of it. Plenty of airborne creatures inhabited the Storm Peaks. He reasoned that it was probably nothing more than a bird flying to its nest.

Illyria was about to sit back down when she heard the screech again. This time it was closer and more pronounced.

_That's no bird. _Jacob thought, alarmed.

Illyria wheeled around and stared at the camp. Something large zoomed over their heads. As it passed, it beat its wings, knocking them to the ground. Illyria immediately uprighted herself and stared at their campground; her heart skipped a beat.

The campground was on fire and was currently being attacked by an enormous, iron dragon.

* * *

Skorrn stopped for a moment to wipe sweat from his brow. His soldiers had been fighting Ignis' stone sentries for hours, with no sight of their maker. Judging from the amount of healing he and his fellow healers had to do, the sentries were brutal creatures. Only a few soldiers, pummeled by the sentries' massive fists and scorched by the flames that erupted from them, had been beyond saving and died. For an afternoon of fighting, a handful of soldiers were an acceptable loss.

He felt his mind again wondering to where the great Furnace Master was. By the hour, more and more sentries fell, until this point, when no more than five remained alive and intact. Proud of his warriors, Skorrn beckoned his troops to rest once the final sentries had been defeated.

While they drank and sat, Skorrn and Alona ventured to the roaring furnace at the end of the promenade where the sentries had once stood. Gash, one of Skorrn's lieutenants, had commanded a small group of soldiers to accompany him.

Skorrn was particularly interested in the clanging that resonated inside the furnace. Alona had noticed it too.

"Skorrn, what do you think that clanging is?" She asked.

"I am unsure. It's definitely coming from inside the furnace though." He said, puzzled. The troops that accompanied him walked ahead and peered into the furnace.

"It almost sounds like a smith pounding away at an anvil." Skorrn continued.

He could not have been more correct. Just as the phrase left his lips, a giant hand snatched up a few of the soldiers standing at the edge of the furnace. Skorrn could hear his man cry out in agony and caught a whiff of the putrid stench of burning flesh.

"RUN!" He screamed. And just as he turned his back, Skorrn saw a giant, a mace in one hand, and a cauldron of flames attached to his belt, erupt from the furnace.

"Insolent whelps!" It boomed. "Your blood will temper the weapons used to reclaim this world!" It snatched up the rest of the soldiers that had accompanied him.

Skorrn and Alona ran back towards the rest of the soldiers, who had just caught sight of Ignis the Furnace Master. Several of the Protection Warriors, Gash, Tharm, and Zubra'Jin ran towards Ignis and gained his attention. He began pounding on them furiously.

"Attack!" Professor Artrus yelled. The rest of the Horde soldiers unleashed on Ignis. Skorrn faced his healers.

"He's going to try and melt us down to our bones. Priests, maintain protective shields on as many people as you can. Our Shamans and Druids will have to heal burns as quickly as possible. Paladins, focus your healing powers on the Protection Warriors keeping Ignis' attention from the rest of us. He's going to beat them mercilessly." Skorrn commanded.

The Horde soldiers went to work chopping and blasting as much of Ignis' body as they could, but the giant was resilient. Skorrn was glad for his Priests; Ignis constantly emitted scorching infernos from his hands, singing anyone in his path.

Every so often, the giant would snatch up more soldiers to throw into his cauldron of magma. The healers worked furiously as they attempted to heal those trapped in the cauldron while they tried to escape.

As the battle raged on, Skorrn saw more of the sentries run towards their forces.

"Zubra'Jin, Gash, keep those sentries away from our soldiers!" Skorrn commanded. His officers obliged. They intercepted the sentries and unleashed a flurry of attacks meant to slow enemies, trapping them a safe distance away from the group.

Just after the sentries arrived, Ignis halted his attacks and seemed to be concentrating or meditating. Skorrn saw it as an opportunity to unleash a furious offensive barrage. His judgment could not have been more flawed.

"Attack!" He bellowed. The Horde soldiers doubled their efforts; Rogues sliced and diced at whatever part of the giant they could, the Balance Druids unleashed the power of Nature, and the Hunters unloaded their ammunition into the great Furnace Master.

In one swift movement, Ignis raised his hammer above his head, let forth a mighty bellow, and brought it down to the ground, creating an explosive shockwave. Those not killed by the smash found themselves thrust into the air by flame jets which had violently erupted from the ground.

Skorrn looked around as he was catapulted into the air. There was a look of sheer horror on his soldiers' faces that he had never seen before.

"SHIELDS, PRIESTS, SHIELDS!" He screamed, praying that his fellow healers would be able to mitigate some of the damage from the return trip. A few of the Priests that were still able to heal began placing shields over as many people as they could.

Skorrn was one of the first to hit the ground. He tried to land on his feet and jump up at the moment of contact, but the overwhelming downwards pull from gravity was too much to bear. He landed on his right hoof, feeling most of the bones in it shatter. He tried to muffle his agonizing cry, but found himself unable to do so. More of the healers and spellcasters crashed into the ground around him. A few soldiers, who had become disoriented during the eruption and let their bodies fly wildly through the air, came crashing down head-first, killing them almost instantly.

Unable to stand, Skorrn propped himself up on one of his totems and tried to heal as many soldiers around him as he could. He didn't think about himself or the massive amounts of blood he was probably loosing from his leg.

"Keep the spellcasters and melee footman alive, they're our only hope at killing this thing!" He screamed, the pain evident in his voice.

The damage dealers went back to work, unleashing whatever force they could muster, but Ignis was too powerful and the Horde had lost too many soldiers disabled or killed. Skorrn felt a moment of panic creep up on him, but he shrugged it away.

_So I'm going to die here, in Ulduar_. He thought.

He closed his eyes, seeking to meditate and communicate with the spirit of the Earth Mother one last time before his death. Somehow, through all of the chaos, Skorrn heard the sound of approaching mounts. He snapped his eyes open and looked behind him.

Some of the Kirin Tor's Mages, led by Rhonin, appeared at the far end of Ignis' concourse. They rode down the concourse at a blazing speed, offloading a major Arcane offensive into Ignis, who focused his attention on the Mages, who had shielded themselves with their Frost magic.

Skorrn had never seen the Kirin Tor in battle, but he had heard of their prowess on the battlefield. He was not disappointed. Within minutes of the Kirin Tor's arrival, Ignis had begun to stumble, feeling the effects of the wounds inflicted upon him by the Kirin Tor in addition to the damage done by the Horde's attacks.

"Assist them, now!" Skorrn commanded.

The Horde soldiers left standing summoned up whatever life they could and assisted the Kirin Tor in finishing off the mighty Furnace Master.

* * *

After Ignis fell, the Kirin Tor, who had brought a few Priests along, assisted the Horde's healers in restoring whatever life they could to the soldiers. Skorrn's initial estimate of their casualties had been high. The healers were able to mend and revive many soldiers. Still, there had been some losses. Most noticeably was one of Skorrn's officers. He stood over the body of Gash, one of the Warriors, and hung his head, offering a silent moment of thought for the brave soldier.

Rhonin ran to Skorrn, who was limping through the body piles.

"Gather your forces, we must return to the campground, the Alliance are under attack there. Quickly!" Rhoning barked.

Skorrn's remaining officers heard the order and looked him. He nodded. They began assembling the remaining soldiers as quickly as possible.

"What's happening at the campground? What threat do we face?" Skorrn asked, still weary from the battle with Ignis.

"A dragon." Rhonin responded, a jarring grimace evident on his usually bright face. Skorrn laughed.

"A dragon? The Alliance cannot handle a dragon?" He laughed some more.

"Do you honestly think we would have ridden over here at breakneck speed if this were some just regular dragon? Why don't you think with your head for a moment instead of with your ass, you moronic, masticating fool?!" Rhonin screamed.

Skorrn was not pleased with the Mage's response. He stood still for a second, his eyes shaking and his ears pounding with anger. Rhonin had insulted the Tauren in a way that cut straight to his core: calling him a cow.

He found himself at a crossroads. He could strike Rhonin, which would mend the injuries suffered by his ego, but would also result in their partnership falling apart. He could also let the insult go, taking it in stride for the greater good of their mission.

Skorrn chose to ignore Rhonin and immediately addressed his troops.

"Mount up and get back to the campgrounds immediately. We've got more problems there." He said quietly, avoiding eye contact with Rhonin, who seemed to be doing the same with Skorrn.

_I will not disappoint Thrall_. He thought, justifying his actions and attempting to mend his bruised ego.

* * *

Illyria wiped some sweat from her brow. The reprieve was only temporary; she found herself having to dodge a massive fireball that escaped the dragon's mouth again.

_What was it Brann had called this one? Razor…fang? Razor…wing?_ She thought, carefully running from the fireball. _Razor…scale? Razorscale!_

The massive proto-drake had ambushed their camp, unleashing a barrage of fireballs towards their tents and supplies. The initial blasts had been deadly, killing many soldiers and igniting many of their supplies. Illyria's quick thinking had saved the camp from more devastation. She ordered the Hunters to load harpoons with chains into their guns and attach them to the dragon.

Once the chains had been firmly unloaded into its wings, the Hunters dragged the massive dragon to the empty part of their campground, near an unstable section of ground. The dragon had knocked more than a few Hunters over the side when it tried to flap its enormous wings, but the remaining ones held it in place surprisingly well. She had the spellcasters in the Alliance stand far away and in the opposite direction of the camp and then ordered them to unleash on the dragon. Confused and aggravated by the assult, the dragon tried to destroy the spellcasters, halting its attack on the campground.

Illyria had sent Rhonin to fetch the Horde soldirs; she knew she would need their assistance in killing the iron beast, but they had yet to return. She heard a few of the chains buckle.

"Reload those guns and get some more chains in it. We have to hold it steady until the Horde and the other Kirin Tor Mages return to help finish it off!" She commanded.

She didn't want to risk sending in the Warriors, Rogues, Feral Druids, and other melee footmen; one flap from its wings would send anyone in nearby range flying over the cliff. She would need all the spellcasters to help bring the dragon down.

She heard the thundering sound of the approaching Kirin Tor and Horde forces. They rode down into the campground and dismounted, charging towards the dragon.

"No! Wait!" Illyria screamed, but it was too late. The Kirin Tor and Horde forces unleashed on the dragon. They were still in front of the campgrounds and, more importantly, standing directly in front of Razorscale, who responded in kind by unleashing a powerful nova from its mouth, scorching many of the Kirin Tor and Horde spellcasters right where they stood.

Surprised and enraged by the new assault, Razorscale summoned up hidden strength and beat many of the chains from her wings. A few stalwart Hunters held their ground and yanked downwards as the beast flapped its wings up. The violent struggle between upward and downward forces did not end well for the dragon; Illyria shuddered as she heard a bone-wrenching snap, which originated from the dragon's wings.

The dragon let loose an aggravating and tortured screech which echoed through the camp. It shook off the final chains and charged straight for the campgrounds, scorching everything in its path.

The spellcasters pursued the dragon, casting whatever offensive spells they could, many of which missed the speeding dragon. Unable to fly, it ravaged the campsite. Illyria panicked, they were loosing soldiers and supplies fast.

Acting quickly, she summoned her horse from the impromptu stables and quickly mounted. She chased after the dragon, pushing her horse to its limits. She stopped by one of the remaining supply sheds and grabbed as many chains as she could carry. Quickly catching up to the dragon, she pulled up alongside of it. Steadying her horse, she carefully stood on its saddle. Chain in hand, she leapt towards the dragon

She landed the jump and dug her feet into its back. Aware of its intruder, the dragon screeched again. Being this close had amplified the creature's powerful cries. Illyria was startled by the loud cries but held her ground.

Slowly, she crept towards the creature's head and mounted herself on its neck. With one careful toss, she looped the chain around its neck. When she had both ends in her hands, she pulled it taught in an effort to slow down and restrain the creature.

_Light give me strength_. She prayed, immediately feeling an empowered might in her hands. She pulled the chains tighter, trying to choke the beast. It slowed to a walking pace, allowing the spellcasters to get close and unload on it.

She saw Jacob rally the melee footmen and charge the dragon. Skorrn organized his troops and coordinated their efforts with those of the Alliance. The dragon screamed in horrible agony as it felt its life coming to an end.

Illyria held onto the very hand. She was thankful for the spellcasters' accuracy; she only took secondary damage from some of the spells cast. With one last horrifying screech, the creature collapsed and died.

Jacob ran to the creature's head and helped his wife dismount. While she was climbing down, she saw a box inside its terrifying maw. Her heart racing, she reached into the its mouth and withdrew the package, which, in turn, made Jacob's heart race. She withdrew a box similar to the one found in the wreckage of the Flame Leviathan. She expected the contents to be the same.

As she turned and faced her troops, she saw many approving glances, not only from the Alliance and Kirin Tor soldiers, but also from many of the Horde too. She blushed a little bit. Brushing herself off, she found Skorrn, Rhonin, and Brann standing together.

"Now just what was that thing?" Skorrn asked Brann.

"Razorscale. She used te be known as Veranus, when she was in service o' Thorim, one o' the Titan guards of this prison. But he released her back inna the wild some time ago." Brann responded.

"Was she always bound by the iron plates on her body?" Skorrn asked, some sympathy for the creature brewing.

"Nay. Accordin' to the Sons o' Hodir, she was recen'ly captured by some Iron Dwarves an' brough' in 'ere. I'm guessin' that the iron platin' is the work of Ignis." He responded.

"Speaking of Ignis," Skorrn said, reaching into his bag, "I found another one of the boxes near the forge where we killed Ignis. It has another orb and a piece of the Val'anyr inside." He said, handing it to Brann.

"I found this inside Razorscale's mouth." Illyria said, wiping off the box she had just found, and giving it to Brann.

He held both the boxes in his hands.

"This is great. Thank ye. We're two steps closer te reassemblin' Val'anyr!" He said excitedly.

One thought raced through both Illyria and Skorrn's minds.

_Who will wield Val'anyr, the Hammer of Ancient Kings?_


	7. New Toys

_Chapter 6_

The losses endured in the battle against Razorscale were high. Though the healers were able to save most of the immolated soldiers, many of the supplies had been lost in the fires.

"Our progress through Ulduar will have to wait." Illyria noted. "We need to resupply."

"What's the use? The Kirin Tor's Mages can prepare all the food and beverages we need." Skorrn responded.

"It's not just that. We've lost weapons, ammunition, armor, medicines…" Illyria started.

"The Horde do not need such things. I refuse to stop our progress for two weeks while we run back to Dalaran for supplies!" He pounded his fist into his other hand.

"I'm inclined to agree. We just don't have the time to stop." Rhonin nodded.

Illyria rolled her eyes and cast her gaze on the gorund, unable to look Rhonin and Skorrn in the eye.

"Brann, what lies beyond that gate?" Rhonin asked, pointing at the locked gate impeding their march. Brann took out his notebook and consulted a crude, ancient map.

"It's one last courtyard that leads into the main prison." Brann responded, pointing at the map.

"How do we get past that gate?" Illyria asked.

"While ye were busy fightin' Razorscale, I spen' some tim examinin' the gate. There's a small openin' in the gate. It looks te be the size o' one o' them rune orbs we found. With yer permission, I'd like to put o'them in there an' see wha' happens." Brann responded.

Illyria and Rhonin nodded. Skorrn groaned.

"And what horrors wait for us beyond that gate? Does your little map indicate anything?" Skorrn barked.

"No. This is more jus' an architectural overview o' the facility." He retorted sharply.

Skorrn was shocked at the Dwarf's newfound ferocity.

"Very well. To the gate." Skorrn said, departing from their gathering.

* * *

The remaining forces had been mobilized and led to the gate.

Brann stood at the gate, orb in hand. With a sharp, nervous inhale he approached the gate. He put the runed orb in the appropriate slot and the gate unlocked. After a few seconds, it opened, revealing a large courtyard.

The expedition slowly entered, all eyes scanning the room. While some eyes focused on the broken down and assumedly defunct robots that littered the room, the majority of eyes fixed their gaze on the monstrous robot that stood at the far end of the courtyard.

Standing directly in front of the gate was a gigantic robot. It stood silently and without motion, suggesting that it had been deactivated, nearly as large as Ignis. Hanging from its chest was a core, carelessly dangling between its legs.

"What is _that_?" Illyria whispered.

"Looks Gnomish." Rhonin responded. "A lot of these robots do."

"It was probably made by Mimion, one o' the four Titan guards o' the prison. Mimiron is unique because he's the only Titan Mechagnome. Much of our research indicates tha' Mimiron was a prolific inventor. He made many of the robot sentries that guard this prison. He probably made the Flame Leviathan too." Brann noted.

"Remind me to thank him for that." Skorrn noted sarcastically.

The expedition moved towards the giant robot, who still stood inactive. Illyria and her Paladins reached the robot first. The door behind him stood open. Illyria motioned for the expedition to head for the door, but it was a moment too late.

One of the Gnome engineers, unable to contain his enthusiasm at seeing the massive mech, excitedly ran up to it and began to examine the core that hung from its chest. As Skorrn and Illyria commanded him not to, the core lit up and begin to spin. It retracted into the robot's chest. A Gnomish voice boomed from inside the prison compound.

"XT-002 is online! Look, my invention, some new _toys_ for you to play with!" The voice squealed with delight. Illyria panicked.

"Spread out! Get away from it!" She watched as the expedition spread out around the room, the spellcasters standing as far back as possible.

The robot activated, closing the core mechanism inside its chest. Its eyes glowed and it began to run around the room. It grabbed one particularly frightened Draenei and shook it violently.

"New toys? For me? I promise I won't break them this time!" The robot squealed with a high-pitched, childlike voice.

Skorrn couldn't help but laugh.

_Why would Mimiron pick such an innocent voice for such an impressive creature?_ He thought.

The XT-002 grew bored with the Draenei and tossed him aside, which crushed the poor Draenei instantly.

"I think I broke it!" It said sadly.

It found an Undead Warlock and picked him up.

"You're a scary-looking toy! I don't like you!" It snapped the Warlock in half and threw it to the side. The Undead groaned on the ground, waiting for a healer to put him back together.

"I guess it doesn't bend that way." It solemnly decided.

Jacob panicked and scanned the room. It was impossible to find Illyria in the chaos that set upon their expedition.

_How can you deal with a robot that thinks it's…_Jacob thought.

"…a child!" He exclaimed loudly.

He threw his shield at the robot's head and blinded it with Repentance.

"Hey! Play nice! Don't break the toys!" He said with a commanding, parental tone.

The robot began to cry and started swinging its fist, throwing a temper tantrum. It slammed its feet on the ground.

"NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" It cried.

Jacob forced the child's attention on himself.

"What are you waiting for? KILL IT!" Jacob screamed to the soldiers, who were just watching in horror as the robot thrashed about. At Jacob's command, the melee footmen charged the robot and began taking out its legs. The spellcasters unleashed on its torso, trying to expose the core again.

"Calm down! Why don't you play with your old toys?" Jacob shouted, pointing at the robots that littered the room, assuming they were the dismantled playthings of the robot.

"Time for a new game! My old toys will fight my new toys!" It decided.

Jacob grimaced and cursed his foolishness. The robot ran to the piles of old robots and issued a burst of lightning from its hand at each heap. All the robots were able to move jolted to life and noticed the expedition soldiers that stood in the room.

"Playtime!" The robot said as it charged back towards the expedition, snatching up more soldiers and throwing them at the robots that came in.

Jacob saw Zubra'Jin, one of Skorrn's officers, tackle one of the smaller robots.

"Dey be armed with explosives, mon. Warriors of de Horde, take 'em out before dey get to dem squishy Mages." He commanded.

Many of the melee footmen, Alliance and Horde alike, charged towards the robots and deactivated as many as they could.

Jacob had Illyria take over parenting the large robot and ran to Zubra'Jin and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Nice thinking!" He complimented, smashing robots with his mace.

"Thanks mon." The troll responded without looking at Jacob.

"We need to get its chest open so we can destroy its core. Do you have any ideas?" Jacob asked, continuing his attacks.

Zubra'Jin turned and looked the XT's chest.

"Let's get a few of dem Rogues up dere. Dey can pry open its chest and get de core out." Zubra'Jin responded.

Jacob smiled.

"Aye." He turned and found a few Undead Rogues. "Come with me!"

They hesitated and looked at Zubra'Jin, seeking approval. He nodded and they followed Jacob back to the large robot that was chasing Illyria around them.

"You're not my mommy!" It screamed.

Jacob turned to one of the Undead Rogues.

"I need you to get up there and open that thing's chest. Can you do that?" He asked.

The Rogues all nodded their head and charged towards the robot. They climbed up its legs and scaled it, immediately going to work on opening its chest. The spellcasters halted their barrage while the nimble Rogues pried open the breastplate that guarded the robot's core.

After a minute of furious work, the Rogues finally opened the robot's chest plate. It cried out and began throwing a temper tantrum again.

"NO! Don't touch me!" It wailed.

The Rogues jumped down from the robot went back to work disabling the small explosive bots that were still chasing after the expedition. As the temper tantrum raged on, the robot shook loose its core and lowered from its chest cavity again. The robot slumped over.

"So tired…I'll rest for just a moment." It yawned, its core naked and exposed.

The soldiers needed no orders, both melee footmen and spellcasters alike furiously unloaded upon the core. Its shield was immediately shattered and it began taking heavy damage. After a few moments of constant damage, the core exploded.

The robot wailed in agony.

"Noooooooo…You…are…very…bad…toooyyyssss…" It moaned as it finally deactivated. It swung around for a few seconds before finally crashing into the ground.

* * *

Rhonin once again allowed the Gnome engineer to examine the robot and, much to no one's astonishment, there was another small chest tucked inside the machine. It contained another orb and another fragment of Val'anyr. The Gnomes delivered it to Rhonin and who forwarded it to Brann.

"What pieces of the weapon do we have so far?" Skorrn asked.

"T'would seem we've two pieces of the hilt and two pieces o' the actual mace." Brann said, holding up each piece, trying to combine them.

"It doesn't seem like we have very much of the actual hammer." Illyria noted.

"Aye, I thought tha' too. Maybe we'll fin' some bigger fragments as we get further inside." Brann agreed.

"We also need to consider the weapon's fate." Skorrn chirped.

"What do you mean?" Rhonin asked calmly.

"Someone will need to wield this weapon. If we manage to form it, then it will be essential in the fight against Yogg-Saron." Skorrn responded.

"Well 'tis goin' straigh' inna the 'Splorer's League Museum in Ironforge, that's fer sure. We ken't _use_ such a valuable antique, it mus' be preserved." Brann shouted.

"If someone's going to wield it, it should be one of the Paladins, the power of creation and the power of the Light are a mighty force." Illyria chimed in.

"Letting someone in the Alliance wield such a powerful weapon? How is that fair to the Horde?" Skorrn barked.

"And letting someone in the Horde wield it over someone in the Alliance? That's a double-standard." Illyria retorted.

The three began arguing intensely. Illyria and Skorrn screamed in each other's faces while Brann rambled on about the importance preserving artifacts. Rhonin grew tired with the fighting.

"ENOUGH!" He boomed. The three looked at him, finally aware that they had let themselves get carried away. Illyria was ashamed, Skorrn turned and scoffed, and Brann mumbled the rest of his lecture.

"In the _very_ unlikely event that we actually manage to locate the remaining pieces of Val'anyr, then we will make a decision about the fate of the weapon. In the end, I agree with Brann. We should preserve the weapon; however, I also know how important it could be in the fight against Yogg-Saron and, even more importantly, the fight against the Lich King. I am not prepared to make a decision about who should wield the weapon, but I have a suggestion for each of you: find your most worthy soldier who would best use this powerful weapon. If Brann's assessment of the healing powers of the mace are true, then you should select your finest healer." Rhonin said.

_Clearly, I am the most worthy person in the Horde. I am one of the most powerful healers in all of our soldiers in the Horde, and I am certainly the most qualified candidate in the Ulduar expedition_. Skorrn thought.

"If we manage to assemble Val'anyr, the Kirin Tor will decide who wields it, since we have no allegiance to neither the Horde nor the Alliance." Rhonin continued.

Illyria and Skorrn both nodded in agreement.

"Brann, is that suitable?" He asked, staring at the Dwarf, who said nothing, but offered an approving wave of his hand.

"Very well. Rally your forces, heal the wounded and get ready to enter the main compound." He commanded softly.

Illyria, Skorrn, and Brann departed.

* * *

Rhonin faced the expedition. He cleared his throat.

"We are entering the main compound of Ulduar now. Yogg-Saron's influence is now going to be much more prominent. He is the Old God of Death, but he is also a great deceiver. He will attempt to corrupt each and every one of you once inside. Using his whispers, he will infiltrate your mind and break down your consciousness until you become a servant. You _must_ resist this. Find some friends and maintain conversations with them. The less internalized your thought processes are, the better. Once you hear the whispers tell your friends and keep talking to them." Rhonin announced.

The troops erupted in a nervous buzz as they step through the grand doorway leading into the prison.

Upon entering, the expedition found itself inside a grand hallway, capped by two smaller doorways and a grand staircase. The Titan construction of Ulduar had been left untouched for thousands of years. The ornate and lavish architecture astonished even Brann. Ulduar looked like it may have been built just before the expedition arrived, despite thousands of years of weathering and warfare.

Everyone felt something invisible, intangible embrace them. It was a warm and comforting sensation; Rhonin decreed that it was Yogg-Saron introducing himself to the soldiers.

Not long after, the whispers began.

* * *

The Old God felt the expedition finally enter the compound. He welcomed their presence and cast a veil over them. He went to work at corrupting each and every fresh mind that entered Ulduar.

_Come, friends. Set me free._


	8. The Archivum

_Chapter 7_

The expedition stood at the base of a grand foyer. There was a pair of winding staircases that led into the main prison compound and at the base of each staircase there was a hallway leading to a door. Brann sat on one of the staircases and stared at the map in his notebook.

"T'would seem that the door to yer right," he pointed, "leads to 'Celestial Planetarium'. Tha's innerestin' an' whate'er, but I'm more innerested in gainin' access to the 'Archivum", which lies direc'ly to yer left." He said, standing and closing his notebook.

"I think we should press on, get into the main prison area and kill Yogg-Saron before we do any exploring." Skorrn opined. Illyira nodded her head in agreement.

"Brann, tell us more about this 'Archivum.' What is its purpose?" Rhonin pressed.

"The Archivum is the deposit o' Ulduar's active recognition system." He responded. They all gazed at him blankly. "Basically, the Titans installed devices in 'ere to actively record things as they happened. The only way to access the data is to communicate with the Archivum."

Rhonin nodded his head.

"I propose we visit the Archivum. We need to find out what's happening in here. There's no better place for that than Ulduar's active memory system." He said.

Skorrn grunted.

"With your permission, the Horde would like to press ahead. We'll act as the reconnaissance force." He offered.

"No. Do you remember what happened when last we parted ways?" Illyria quipped.

"I sincerely doubt that _another_ dragon will ambush us inside here." Skorrn retorted.

"Illyria makes a good point. We're in the main compound now. The defenses that we encountered outside will probably look like child's play compared to what we'll face in here. We _must_ stay together." Rhonin said firmly. Brann nodded his in agreement.

Skorrn was frustrated but acceded to their argument.

"To the Archivum, I suppose." He said dejectedly. The leaders rallied their troops and went down the hallway leading to the Archivum.

At the end of the hallway, the group found themselves impeded by a locked door. It bore a similar notch as the gate outside: a hole big enough for one of the rune orbs to be interested. Brann stepped up to the gate and put one of the orbs in the slot. The gate unlocked, but not all at once. Sequentially, from top-to-bottom, each mechanism was locked individually.

_You…shall…see…the…truth…resistance…is…futile…_

Skorrn felt the voice penetrate his ears and wrap itself around his brain. He shook it off and approached Alona.

"How are you fairing, Alona? Have you heard the whispers of the Old God yet?" He asked, maintaining conversation as Rhonin had ordered. Her eyes were wide and she stared at Skorrn.

He saw nothing in her eyes. Nervously he called one of the Priests over and ordered him to soothe Alona's mind. The Priest radiated light on her head and after a few seconds, Alona blinked furiously and looked around, alert.

"I'm sorry, Skorrn. I'm trying to resist. The Old God is calling me into darkness." She said, nuzzling up to her husband. He ran a hand over her shoulder and held her firmly. He put his head next to hers.

"I'll always be here to bring you back." He whispered, holding her still. He closed his eyes for a moment.

_If you want Alona, you'll have to take me first. _He thought.

_Very well, Shaman…_

He snapped his eyes open as the last mechanism was unlocked. He moved back to the door and helped Rhonin open it.

They found themselves in a grand antechamber. Brann scanned the room for the access console, but found only three guardians, staring directly at the expedition.

"CHARGE!" Skorrn boomed. The foot soldiers immediately charged in towards the three sentinels.

The biggest one, a gigantic iron Giant commanded the two smaller sentinels, one an iron Vykrul and the other an iron Dwarf.

"You shall not defeat the Assembly of Iron so easily, invaders!" It made contact with the foot soldiers and began to smash them.

"Keep them separated! Don't let them get near each other!" Illyria commanded, attempting to corral the Dwarf towards the back of the room while Jacob and Zubra'Jin directed the other sentinels away from each other.

Rhonin and the Kirin Tor Mages took their place towards the back of the room and split their spellcasting among the three. Brann glanced around the room, deftly dodging lightning bolts that had been hurled by the iron Dwarf.

_What if they're the Archivum? A livin' memory system?!_ Brann thought nervously.

"STOP! DON'T KILL THEM!" Brann screamed, but his cries went unnoticed in the chaos that had embraced the expedition.

* * *

Zubra'Jin had directed the biggest of the sentinels to him. The Giant hit him hard and fast, occasionally empowering its fists and smashing Zubra'Jin harder than usual, penetrating the shields placed upon him by the Priests.

"Kill de big one first! He smashin' on me ferocisouly! Pass de order along!" Zubra'Jin barked to the soldiers fighting alongside him. They passed the order a long and within ten seconds, all the spellcasters had redirected their attacks towards the iron Giant.

The middle-sized sentinel, the Vykrul, was more defensive, placing shield around the other two sentinels as often as it could. Jacob, who had corralled the Vykrul, tried to use the Light to remove the shields, but the sentinel's magic was too strong.

After a minute or so of heavy damage, the iron Giant began to relent and after a few more rounds of heavy spell damage, it finally fell over.

"My death…only serves…to hasten…yours…" It whispered, collapsing onto the ground with a tremendous thud.

At the sight of the first sentinel's body, the other two sentinels doubled their efforts. The Vykrul began dropping blue runes on the floor. After a few seconds of pulsating, raging Lightning Elementals, creatures made entirely of electrical energy, would emerge from the rune and begin charging towards the expedition. The iron Dwarf began emitting a constant burst of electrical energy, shocking anyone who was near him, including Illyria.

The spellcasters directed their attacks towards the Vykrul, who attempted to shield himself. The heavy damage caused by the expedition's skilled spellcasters easily penetrated the shield.

"This one's as good as dead, tell the foot soldiers to focus their attacks on the Dwarf." Rhonin commanded in between blasts of Arcane energy. The Warriors, Rogues, Feral Druids, and Paladins moved to the Dwarf and interrupted its lightning emissions.

As the Vykrul took more damage, more Lightning Elementals spawned. The Kirin Tor Mages, leading the assault against the Vykrul, concentrated intensely and empowered their spellcasting, leaving them physically exhausted.

The Kirin Tor's enraged assault officially put the Vykrul out of commission. He stumbled wildly towards the spellcasters and collapsed.

"Decipher…this!" It roared, slamming its fist into the ground, spawning a giant green rune that covered half of the floor. The Vykrul laughed and died.

Anyone caught inside the rune was struck with an instant paralysis. The Dwarf, the only sentinel remaining, took advantage and began to levitate, pushing itself into the air using tendrils of electrical energy. It floated to the center of the room where it unleashed a ferocious electrical storm upon those caught in the paralyzing rune.

"Whether the world's greatest gnats or the world's greatest heroes, yer still only mortal." It taunted, cackling madly.

"SHIELDS ON THEM!" Skorrn barked, concentrating all his healing power on quickly mending those electrocuted. The active Priests blessed as many of the paralyzed soldiers as they could, mitigating much of the Dwarf's electric assault.

Zubra'Jin ran to Skorrn, who was standing near a group of Night Elf Hunters.

"We need to get him down, mon. That storm causing big problems for all of us." Zubra'Jin screamed into Skorrn's ear.

One of the Night Elf Hunters overheard the Troll's concern and loaded a chain into his gun. He caught Zubra'Jin's attention and threw him the weapon. Zubra'Jin nodded his thanks and aimed at the Dwarf.

He fired the harpoon that had been loaded with the attached chain. It impaled the Dwarf in one of its legs. Zubra'Jin tugged on the chain to check its strength and immediately began to drag the Dwarf to the ground.

The other Hunters loaded chains into their guns and assisted Zubra'Jin. A few moments later, the Dwarf was permanently grounded and taking heavy damage. It stood no chance against the combined efforts of the entire expedition.

After a few moments of heavy melee and spellcasting damage, the Dwarf gave up on its assault. It collapsed to one knee and stared at Brann.

"Traitor…" It whispered. "This meeting of the Assembly of Iron is adjourned…" It gasped and collapsed.

Brann ran over to the Dwarf and searched its body. He found a huge disk. He turned and faced the expedition.

"These three sentinels were the Archivum, yer all fools. I tried to tell ye, but ye let yer bloodlust take control. Now we'll never know what's been happenin' in 'ere." He screamed. No one looked at him, their eyes were fixed towards the back of the antechamber, a section of the wall had collapsed, revealing a small chamber with a console in it. Brann, disk in hand, ran towards the room at full speed. Illyria, Skorrn, and Rhonin followed him.

Without any regard for his own safety, Brann dashed into the secret room and collided into the console. He couldn't contain his excitement.

_Those sentinels _weren't_ the Archivum after all_. He beamed.

"Brann, wait a moment!" Rhonin commanded from the entrance to the chamber. "Wait for us." He said as the three commanders entered the chamber.

It was quite unremarkable. There was but a single light, which hung over the console. The walls were made from a dark stone which reflected no light. Inset in the console was a notch, big enough for the disk that Brann had salvaged from the iron Dwarf's corpse. Nervously, he placed the disk into the console.

The room exploded with light. The walls illuminated to reveal a mural, which was a depiction of the Four Keepers, the Titan guards of the prison, keeping Yogg-Saron at bay. The console came to life, a holographic face appearing above it.

"Now this is what we call a nice find!" He smiled like a fool.

"Access to the Archivum granted. Intrusion protection mechanisms suspended." The face said smoothly.

"Looks just like all the other Titan archives me lads have found in Uldaman and the Halls of Stone...only older…and bigger." He said, his attention then rested on a blinking light. He read the inscription next to the light. "Wait a second: this doesn't look right! Next to this blinking light…what's this _Algalon signal_?"

"Initiating query. The Algalon Failsafe is an automated emergency signal following a Prime Designate's demise." The Archivum responded.

"'Prime Designate'? Where have I 'eard that before?" He thought for a moment. It clicked. "The Halls of Lightning, the warden, Loken. Loken is Azeroth's Prime Designate! Loken's death triggered this!"  
"Affirmative. Timestamp of Prime Designate Loken's destruction coincides with signal activation." The Archivum continued.

"Well? Who's on the listenin' side o' the signal? What's goin' te happen?" He pressed.

"Searching…Destruction of Prime Designate is considered the first warning sign of systemic planetary failure. Algalon observer entity's arrival is followed by planetary diagnostics resulting in one of two possible reply signals. Reply-code Alpha, signaling 'All is well' and Reply-code Omega, signaling planetary re-origination." The Archivum answered.

"Planetary re-origination? Speak plainly, ye blasted machine!" Brann said, kicking the console. Rhonin put a calming hand on Brann's shoulder.

"The decomposition of the planet and its living organisms into base elements: metals, rocks, gases. This is followed by a period of reconstitution of each element into the original planetary blueprint." The Archivum continued.

"Hear that? It's only the end of the world!" Skorrn said sarcastically. Illyria frowned at him.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Archivum? Please initiate Reply-code Alpha, all is well on Azeroth." Rhonin said calmly.

"Request denied. Relpy-codes built into Algalon observer entity. He is both messenger and message. Algalon diagnostic assess danger of system Old God corruption in planetary vital functions. Calculating chance of Omega Reply-code…Ninety-nine point nine nine percent, repeating of course." The Archivum replied calmly, unaware of the truly aplocalyptic nature of its message.

"How can we stop Algalon?" Illyria asked.

"Searching…Algalon diagnostic is conducted in the Celestial Planetarium." The Archivum responded.

"Great, let's just go in there and tell Algalon that everything's okay." Illyrai said positively.

"Access to the Celestial Planetarium is only granted once all four of the Keepers' sigils have been obtained." It responded again.

"Well how long do we have before Algalon sends the Omega reply-code?" Skorrn asked anxiously.

"Calculating…Given Algalon's current location, he will arrive in fifty-six hours, seven minutes, and forty-three seconds. Once Algalon has arrived in the Celestial Planetarium, analysis will take only sixty minutes."

"So we need to acquire the sigils. Tell us more, Archivum." Rhonin commanded.

"The Four Keepers of Ulduar: Freya, Thorim, Hodir and Mimiron. The sigils are tied to their physical and mental integrity. All four sigils are required for access to the Celestial Planetarium." It responded.

"How can we obtain the sigils from them?" Illyria asked.

"Analyzing watcher status…Corruption found. External influence has taken control of the Keepers. The sigils have been compromised." It said.

"How can we redeem the sigils?" Rhonin asked.

"Sufficient use of force would trigger a reset in Keeper's functions, removing the external influence and cleansing the sigils." The Archivum responded.

"If we were to acquire the sigils and kill Yogg-Saron, would that be enough to convince Algalon to send the Alpha reply-code?" Skorrn asked.

"Simulating...if you were to kill Yogg-Saron, access the Celestial Planetarium, and confront Algalon, then yes, that should be sufficient enough to have him send the Alpha reply-code." The Archivum concluded.

They turned to leave when Skorrn remembered the fragments.

"Brann, ask it about Val'anyr." Skorrn said.

The Archivum heard him.

"Acessing data…Val'anyr, the ancient hammer infused with the power of creation. First wielded by King Urel Stoneheart, the first Earthen Dwarf, it was destroyed in the way between the Earthen and the iron Dwarves that was waged in this very building. In their years inside the prison, the Keepers tried to find the fragments of Val'anyr, acknowledging the weapon's potential usefulness in a possible fight Yogg-Saron. Alas, they did not finish assembling the weapon Yogg-Saron's influence consumed them." The Archivum answered.

There was an anxious pause.

"Where are the pieces the Keepers assembled?" Illyria asked.

"Keeper Mimiron, the last of the Keepers to fall to Yogg-Saron, brought the weapon here and gave it to the Archivum to conceal. His hope was that if the Archivum hid the unfinished weapon and masked its power, then Yogg-Saron would never find it and destroy it. So, the unassembled weapon has remained hidden." The Archivum said.

"Where?" Skorrn boomed.

In the center of the room, the floor separated. A pedestal, upon which a broken weapon lay, was elevated from the opening.

"Val'anyr." Rhonin whispered reverently.

Illyria reached for the weapon. Skorrn caught site of a trap switch that the weapon was resting on. He grabbed her hand and pointed to the trap.

"Deactivate the trap." He ordered.

"Request denied. The Archivum will only release Val'anyr once the remaining fragments and the Keepers' sigils have been brought here. Releasing Val'anyr while the Keepers remain under Yogg-Saron's control would be a serious error." The Archivum said firmly.

Brann took out the boxes containing the fragments.

"We've foun' some pieces o' Val'anyr, we think. They were in the possession o' the guards utside. Do ye know how they got there? An' more importantly, are these actually pieces o' Val'anyr?" Brann asked, carefully collecting the fragments from their boxes.

"Query denied. Information about the guards' possessions has been redacted." The Archivum snapped. "Please deposit fragments for analysis." A slot on the Archivum opened. Brann complied.

Skorrn impatiently tapped his foot.

"Well. Are they part of the weapon?" He growled.

"I think that's your answer." Illyria said, pointing at Val'anyr.

The hammer levitated on the pedestal. The pieces that Brann had deposited hovered for a moment before falling into place on the weapon. It came to rest on the pedestal again.

"Val'anyr formation complete. Weapon structure 100% complete." The Archivum confirmed.

Illyria smiled widely. A tear formed in Brann's eye. Rhoning placed a hand on hid shoulder.

"It looks like we've got fifty-six hours to acquire the sigils and kill Yogg-Saron. Let's get moving." Rhonin asserted.

"Wait!" Skorrn boomed. "Ask it what horrors lie ahead. I don't want to be caught offguard again."

"Accessing defense systems…ahead, Kologarn, a stone giant crafted by Ignis the Furnace Master, defends the only point of entry into the Keeper's Quarters. Beyond that, the Four Keepers, though under the influence of Yogg-Saron, are alive. Yogg-Saron remains bound in his prison." The Archivum responded. "The Archivum also detects unknown entities outside of Yogg-Saron's cell. Personal examination will be required for further analysis."

Skorrn nodded.

"It looks like we've got fifty-six hours to cleanse the Keepers' sigils and kill Yogg-Saron. Let's get moving." Rhonin said as he, Illyria, and Skorrn turned to leave.

"I'd like te stay 'ere and go over the Archivum a bit more. I'm useless inna fight anyhows." Brann said. Rhonin nodded and ran out of the room with Skorrn and Illyria in tow.

_What have I done? Why did I come here Brann thought?_ He thought.

_You…brought…them…to…me…I…will…corrupt…them…_

Brann shivered and focused his attention on the Archivum. Since he was without company, he started singing to help keep his mind off of the penetrating whispers the caressed him.

_Author's Note_: Much of the Archivum's dialogue with Brann about the Prime Designtae and the Sigils was taken directly from the in-game soundfiles. The transcript of these files is available online in many places such as WoW Wiki. I did not write this dialogue, but for the purpose of maintaining some of the majesty of the lore of Ulduar, I have transplanted Blizzard's dialogue here.


	9. Crossing the Bridge

_Chapter 8_

"Look sharp as we cross the bridge into the Keeper's Quarters. Ignis the Furance Master constructed a stone giant to act as its sentinel. Its name is Kologarn and it will protect the inner sanctum of Ulduar from all invaders." Rhonin bellowed.

_At least we know about this Kologarn. Another ambush would have broken these soldiers._ Skorrn rationalized.

"Move out!" Skorrn barked. To his astonishment, the Alliance soldiers moved without hesitation. A confused but pleased smirk grew on Skorrn's face.

_That's intriguing. _Illyria thought.

They climbed the giant staircases that led into the inner sanctum and saw the bridge which Kologarn was said to guard. Skorrn and Rhonin, who led the troops, carefully scanned the area, but did not see Kologarn. They signaled for the troops to cross the bridge.

Skorrn, Rhonin, and a handful of Kirin Tor Mages were the first to cross the bridge. They were followed by most of the melee soldiers. While the second group of melee soldiers were crossing, a loud voice boomed from beneath the bridge.

"None shall pass!" Kologarn boomed as he shot up from the depths beneath the bridge, smashing the platform while some soldiers were crossing. They flew off the shattered walkway and plummeted to their deaths.

_So much for having the upper hand_. Skorrn swore.

The giant creature bridged the gap formerly occupied by the bridge, impeding the crossing of most of the expedition's force. Skorrn, Rhonin, and the Mages, the only ones who had been able to cross before Kologarn's appearance panicked. Skorrn was their only healer and without the protective shields of the Priests, the group stood to take heavy losses.

"Illyria! Focus its attention on your side, we've no Priests!" He screamed across the walkway.

Illyria waved her and nodded her head. Imbuing her shield with the power of the Light, she tossed it at Kologarn's head. The shield returned to Illyria's hand. The stone giant traced the shield's path and eyed Illyria.

_Well._ She thought._ Now what?_

Kologarn seemed to answer her question. Its eyes lit up with a vivid glow. Focusing intensely on Illyria, it emitted a bright, powerful beam straight at her. It slammed Illyria in the chest knocking her over and winding her, despite the protective embrace of the Priests' shields.

Thinking her dead, Kologarn let loose more beams from his eyes, zapping a dozen soldiers in a matter of seconds. Illyria stood back up and, fortifying herself with the power of the Light, she threw her shield at Kologarn again.

This time, instead of focusing a beam on her, Kologarn pulled back both its arms rotated so that they ran perpendicular to the platforms.

_Oh no._ Skorrn thought, foreseeing the giant's next move.

"Get down! Duck! Get down!" He screamed, lunging for the floor. Several confused soldiers saw him dive and hesitated, others listened to his order blindly.

Those unfortunate souls left standing assaulted by the full force of Kologarn's arms sweeping across the platform, knocking them into gap formerly occupied by the bridge.

"Obliterate!" The stone giant yelled.

Rhonin and his Mages immediately uprighted themselves and, recognizing the threat posed by Kologarn's arms, unleashed an assault of arcane spells into the stones that comprised its arms, which immediately started to deteriorate.

From the other side of the bridge, Illyria noticed Rhonin's new tactic and pointed it out to the Hunters and Shamans who stood by, who unleashed a flurry of bullets and lightning bolts onto the opposite arm.

The poor construction of the stone giant was readily apparent, after a few moments of heavy damage, its arms crumbled and eventually fell apart. It screamed in agony and began unleashing a fury of beams in all directions, dealing more damage to the surrounding area than to the expedition proper.

"Concentrate fire on its head!" Rhonin screamed, charging up a powerful Arcane Blast. He unleashed it into the giant's temple, dazing the fiend. His fellow Mages followed his example and pounded Kologarn's head with their mightiest spells.

As the last of the spells made contact with the giant's head, it popped off its shoulders, falling into the abyss beneath.

"No!" It screamed as fell, slowing fading into the distance, finally crashing into the ground with a satisfying thud. Its body stood still for a few seconds before it slumped over onto a wall.

* * *

Rhonin and his Mages created a bridge made out of energy, which allowed the rest of the expedition to cross onto the platform that overlooked the prison and the Keeper's Chambers.

Surrounding a large hole in the floor, which afforded a glimpse into a chamber below, were five stone doors. Each door was emblazoned with a crest that bore an image and some runes.

Rhonin tried to decipher a few of them but was unable. He contacted Brann with the communicator they had salvaged from the siege vehicles.

"Brann, I think you'd better come in here." He chirped into the communicator.

"I'm way ahea' of ye." He said, standing behind Rhonin, who was startled by the Dwarf's sudden appearance. "No' long after ye lef' that console clammed up on me!"

"I suppose it's for the best. What do you make of these doors?" Rhonin said, pointing to the doors.

He waddled over to the nearest door, which glowed bright blue. He pulled out his notebook and raced through the pages. Finally, he found something and waved Rhonin, Illyria, and Skorrn over.

"This door will lead us te Hodir's chamber." He said, pointing to a page in his notebook covered in drawings and illegible scrawl. He looked around the room and focused on the other doors. He began pointing to each one.

"There's Thorim. There's Freya, an' there's Mimiron." He stopped at the last door, which stood as far away from the other doors as possible.

"I dun' recognize the symbol, but I reco'nize the runes aroun' it. That's the entry to the main prison compoun'. That's the way to Yogg-Saron." Brann said, running over to the door.

"Look: it's locked, just like the entry to the Celestial Planetarium." Skorrn observed.

"I imagine we'd need the sigils." Rhonin concluded, pointing to the locking mechanism.

Skorrn grunted in frustration.

"The Titans made this quite difficult for us." He moaned.

"I think it's rather brilliant. If I understood the Archivum correctly," Illyria said, looking at Brann, "then the locks are engaged because the Keepers have been corrupted, as they were designed to."

"That's my un'erstandin' at least." Brann nodded.

"The Titans knew about Yogg-Saron's role as deceiver and corruptor. It makes sense that they would anticipate the Keepers' failures." Rhonin concluded.

Rhonin stared around the room. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a low-ranking Kirin Tor Mage who had just teleported in.

"Archmage Rhonin! I bring troubling news." The spellcaster panted.

"What crisis has arisen?" Rhonin said, conjuring some water for the Mage to drink.

"Naxxramas has fallen." The Mage responded in between sips from the water.

Naxxramas, the main Scourge citadel besides Icecrown, was the ziggurat controlled by Kel'Thuzad, the Lich King's most important lieutenant. The Argent Crusade had been inside Naxxramas for weeks, waging war against Kel'Thuzad and his lower generals. The fall of Naxxramas was a significant event in the fight against the Lich King.

"That is excellent. Where does the trouble come from?" Rhonin asked, putting a hand on the Mage's shoulder.

"There was a key found. It was in possession of the frost wyrm called Sapphiron. It pulsed with a power unknown to the Crusade so they brought it to the Kirin Tor. Archmage Vereena has determined that the item is none other than the key that unlocks the Eye of Eternity." The Mage said, dread visible on his face.

Rhonin fell to one knee. He immediately became pale and put a hand on his now-perspiring forehead. He looked up at Illyria and Skorrn with tears in his eyes. He tried to compose himself and slowly stood up.

"The Kirin Tor focused all their power and drained every single Mage when we relocated Dalaran to Northrend. We came here in an attempt to gain footing against Malygos and the Blue Dragonflight's campaign to destroy all magic-users on Azeroth. Now, we're in position to destroy Malygos, end this war, and keep our promise to the Red Dragonflight." Rhonin said quietly.

"The Kirin Tor's presence is needed elsewhere."

Skorrn was infuriated. Illyria put a hand over her mouth. Brann stared blankly at the ground.

"I cannot fathom the damage my departure will do to this expedition's morale and composure, but we simply cannot wait anymore to stop Malygos. I hope you will all understand." Rhonin continued, turning to the messenger.

"Spread the word to the rest of our Mages and have them report to Dalaran at once." He said, dismissing the messenger.

"You're just going to leave? In the face of this threat?" Skorrn barked.

"I'm sorry. I know we have much left to do here, but the fight against Malygos must take precedence." Rhonin said, creating a portal to Dalaran.

"Brann, you must lead this expedition. Purify the sigils, save the Keepers, eliminate Yogg-Saron, and stop Algalon from sending the Omega reply-code." He bowed to each one of them. "If ever there was a time for the Horde and Alliance to work together…"

Skorrn walked away from him. Illyria's façade was dashed: she grimaced at Rhonin, who said nothing more as he walked through the portal, which closed behind him immediately.

Illyria ran after Skorrn, who stood ready to address the soldiers of the expedition.

"Skorrn, what are you doing?" She barked.

"This expedition needs a strong leader, and I'm going to be that person now." He retorted.

"My soldiers will never follow you. I need to be in charge." She screamed.

"Unlikely. Do you think an Orc will ever take an order from a lowly _human_?" He pushed her back.

She took out her mace and slammed it into his chest. Skorrn flew backwards and crashed into the ground. Alona, standing close by, brandished her weapon and charged towards Illyria. The two locked swords and began exchanging blows. Skorrn uprighted himself and began hurling lightning bolts at Illyria.

Several nearby Paladins, including Jacob noticed the fray and ran in towards Skorrn and Alona.

"Tharm! Zubra'Jin!" Skorrn bellowed.

The Warriors, standing with the rest of Skorrn's officers, heeded the call and intercepted the Paladins. Within minutes, all of the Horde and Alliance members of the expedition were locked in combat, with frightened members of the Explorer's League caught in the fray.

Brann panicked. He expected problems with Rhonin's departure, but didn't expect the effects to be so immediate. He withdrew his pistol from its holster and fired several shots into the air.

His pistol's timid shot was lost in the chaos that had devoured the expedition. He fired more shots which again went unnoticed. Throwing his pistol to the ground, he spotted Illyria and Skorrn. He charged towards them.

The two were exchange spellcasts and weapon blows while their officers fought around them. Brann pushed through the crowd and took a position in between the two mighty leaders.

Skorrn raised his mace above his head after winding Illyria with a shield. As he brought it crashing towards her head, Brann pushed her out of the way and drank a potion which enveloped him in stone casing.

Skorrn, not realizing that Brann had taken Illyria's place, let his weapon make contact. A vibration shot through his arm and he opened his eyes, seeing Brann before him. He immediately realized what had happened and holstered his weapon. He shouted to his officers, commanding them to stop their attacks.

Almost immediately, the conflict surrounding him slowed to a halt, with only a few clangs and thuds to be heard. Illyria stood up and put a hand on Brann's shoulder. She thanked him for quick actions which undoubtedly saved her from severe injury.

"We will not serve the Alliance." Skorrn growled. He turned towards his soldiers. "Horde! We march for Hodir! The first of the Keepers will fall to our weapons and our weapons alone!" He pounded his chest. "Lok'tar ogar!"

He ran towards Hodir's chamber and pushed open the door. The Horde slowly crossed the threshold into the ice Titan's chambers and soon the loud clattering of the armor was inaudible.

"Yer best to not go after them. Let 'em cool off and they'll realize the Keepers greatly outmatch them." Brann said, attempting to reassure Illyria.

"We're wasting time if we just sit here. What can we do until they return?" Illyria asked, feeling slightly useless.

"Well," Brann said, opening his notebook, "we could go to Freya's chambers. All the research we've conducted s'far in'nicates that her chambers will be rich with herbs and flowers, some o' which I'd imagine woul' be quite valuable and useful. We could start harvesting all that?"

"It's better than nothing." Illyria said, nodding to her officers, who spread the word through the Alliance ranks. They departed towards the Conservatory of Life, the reportedly lush chambers in which Freya, the nature Titan, made her home.

Illyria felt an invisible embrace take hold of her.

_Good…good…Next…time…you…will…kill…Skorrn…_

Her thoughts had been breached by Yogg-Saron, the great deceiver, the Old God of Death.


	10. Divided We Fall

_Chapter 9_

The frozen halls leading to Hodir's main chamber were littered with traps. Skorrn and his soldiers deftly fought off ice Revenants, ice Elementals, and Jormungar, giant worms. As they went further and further into the chamber, the air became drier. Lana'thel, Skorrn's Blood Elf Mage and officer, and the other Mages had difficult using fire spells because of the light air. Many of the soldiers found the lack of air debilitating; after spending nearly an hour inside the halls, many of them were unable to lift their weapons.

They climbed a small incline and found the entrance to Hodir's chamber proper. The ice Titan stood at the other side of them, encased in a solid block of ice. Lana'thel concentrated intensely and conjured a large enough spark to ignite a fire. The soldiers were given a few moments by the fire to warm themselves before engaging Hodir.

After resting for nearly half of an hour, Skorrn called his soldiers to arms. He rallied them all together and they entered the small chamber. The air was markedly denser in here and the cold seemed to bite a bit less. Lana'thel, energized by the improved conditions, stood next to Skorrn.

"Soldiers of the Horde, we are not to kill this Titan. He is caught in the influence of Yogg-Saron. Do not think that just because he fell to Yogg-Saron that he is a weak opponent. It took the Old God of Death _thousands_ of years to break down Hodir's mental barriers before the mighty Titan surrendered to the Old God's whispers. He will be unrelenting in his attacks, but you must show restraint. According to the Archivum, a sufficient display of force will be enough to wake the Titan from Yogg-Saron's control. Once he is free, our attacks stop immediately." Skorrn boomed. "Lok'tar ogar!"

Lana'thel hurled a massive fireball towards Hodir, immediately melting his frozen case. He swayed for a few seconds before finding his ground.

"You will suffer for this trespass!" Hodir boomed as he opened his eyes and charged towards the Horde soldiers.

The melee footmen charged after him and the spellcasters unleashed. Hodir, recognizing the threat posed by the Horde, began to meditate.

"Winds of the north…" He whispered.

Skorrn nervously looked around the room. All the air had been sucked towards Hodir. Lana'thel became impotent and Skorrn struggled to breathe. The cold penetrated his fur and sent a shiver down his spine.

"…consume you!" Hodir roared, unleashing a wave of icy air towards the soldiers.

The entirety of Skorrn's forces were trapped in tombs of ice. Unable to move, panic consumed him.

* * *

Illyria delivered another strong blow to the vicious flower that was attacking her. The leafy foe was unaffected by her strikes. She looked around and saw most of her troops had the same problem. Only the Mages, who possessed some fire-based magics, were able to fell Freya's minions.

_And to think, we only came here to pick flowers_. Illyria thought.

"Mages!! Let them eat fire!" Illyria screamed. "Everyone else, move back!"

Her troops withdrew to the entrance to Freya's chamber, the Conservatory of Life. Illyria watched with satisfaction as the powerful spellcasters ignited the flowers. In a matter of seconds, their enemies were consumed by flames. As the flowers died, Illyria looked around the Conservatory; she still couldn't believe what she saw.

The room was unlike any other they'd seen in Ulduar so far. Expecting a giant stone dungeon, Illyria was shocked to see rich, healthy plant growth, a sparkling river, and natural light.

_Clearly, the Nature Titan is a skilled gardener. I'm not sure why I'm surprised_. She thought.

She knew her forces, without the aide of the Horde, would be no match for Freya's minions, let alone the Titan herself.

"We must wait for the Horde to return from their encounter with Hodir." She said to Jacob and Brann.

"Why? Our Mages were able to dispose of those flowers quite efficiently." Jacob asked.

"That they did. But look around this room Jacob. Every flower could be an enemy. We faced a very small group of them and our spellcasters were able to handle them to the best of their ability. But what happens if this entire room comes to life? We'd be outnumbered fifty-to-one, and, as powerful as our Mages are, we would quickly be overwhelmed." She posited.

"I agree with ye lass. It's bes' te wait for them Horde to return. We're gonna nee' their 'elp to dispose o' these leafy bastards." Brann nodded.

"I think we should just return to the campground outside and let our troops rest. Jacob, start mobilizing everyone. Tell them we're falling back." She ordered. Jacob nodded.

Illyria closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She took in the fragrant aroma of the Conservatory and let her mind drift.

_Surrender…_

She snapped her eyes open.

_Surrender…to…me…_

She nervously looked around for company. Brann was sitting nearby. He looked distressed. Anxious to shake the Old God's whispers, she jogged over to him and sat down.

"What's the matter, Brann?" She said, shaking slightly from Yogg-Saron's whispers.

"The success o' this expedition is restin' on me shoulders, lass. I canno' believe Rhonin lef'." Brann said quietly.

"Hey. I'm here to help you. You have the Alliance's full support in this expedition, you know that." She comforted

_His…failure…will…be…my…triumph…_

"I'm no' worried about the Alliance, lass. I'm worried about Skorrn an' the Horde." He whispered.

"It was good that we fought back by the bridge. It helped kill some of the tension. When Skorrn returns, I'm sure everything will be alright." She offered.

"I suppose." He shrugged.

"Skorrn, though not without his flaws, is a good leader. He won't abandon us. I'd be more worried about some of his officers. That Orc…Thorn…Thorm…Thram?" She grasped.

"Tharm, lass. I'm worried about 'im too. And Skorrn's wife." He said.

"Alona? She seems to be level-headed." She responded, confused.

"I'm no' worried 'bout that. Clearly ye di'nt see what happened before we foun' the Archivum, lass." He said, standing up.

"No?" Illyria asked.

"Alona is fallin' victim te Yogg-Saron. Skorrn needed a Pries' te sooth her mind. She's not resistin' ol' Yogg like you an' me, lass." He whispered.

_One…by…one…_

Illyria shot up, panic consuming her. She looked around.

"Something isn't right." She said, hair on the back of her neck raised.

"What do ye mean?" Brann was confused.

Before she could answer the question, Illyria was summoned over to the entrance by Jacob. Standing before him, her robes soaking wet, was Lana'thel, an officer in Skorrn's army and one of, if not the best, Mages outside of the Kirin Tor.

"Lana'thel! What's wrong?" Illyria said, offering her a drink and some food.

"Hodir." She panted. "He's…too…strong…"

"What happened?" Illyria asked, tensing up. Lana'thel collapsed to the ground. Illyria and Jacob dropped to their knees and warmed her with the Light. Lana'thel glowed a brilliant gold and sat up. Jacob held her by the shoulders.

"We engaged Hodir and he froze our entire army, in one swift blow." She said, tears forming in her eyes.

_Rest will have to wait for my soliders_. Illyria thought.

"Brann, the fight with Hodir will be no place for you and your explorers. Take Lana'thel and head back to the camp. Do some research on the Titans we've yet to face." She commanded. Lana'thel stood up.

"No. You're going to need every soldier to face Hodir. Let me just…" Lana'thel closed her eyes. Immediately, an azure tornado wrapped around her body.

_An evocation of some kind_. Illyria thought. She'd heard that Mages were able to re-energize themselves using powerful evocation spells, but she'd never seen one performed.

After a few seconds, the tornado stopped. Lana'thel stood before them and nodded.

"What's the plan, Illyria?" She asked.

"We need to get your comrades out of the ice tombs you say they're trapped in. How did you escape?" Illyria asked.

"Though I wasn't able to move, I was able to generate enough heat by channeling some potent firepower through my hands. If your Mages and I can create some bonfires in that room, Skorrn and the rest of the Horde soldiers would melt right out of their ice blocks." Lana'thel posited.

"Excellent. You'll be in charge of my Mages. While you all work on creating the bonfires, our foot-soldiers will distract Hodir and try and prevent him from entombing us as well." Illyria decided.

"The air in Hodir's chamber is thin, conjuring powerful fire magic will be difficult." Lana'thel said, looking around the room. "If we chop down some of the trees in here and make some torches, we can ensure that we can use our most powerful fire magic."

Illyria's soldiers needed no orders; they ran to a few trees in the Conservatory and immediately knocked them down. They quickly hacked them into smaller pieces and gave each Mage a chunk of wood to be used as a torch.

Meanwhile, Brann was rummaging through one of the supply crates. He franticly dug through the crates until he found a small box, which he hastily brought to Illyria.

"Here's some torch oil, it'll help keep the fires strong." He said, presenting the box to Illyria, who nodded and handed the box to Lana'thel.

Once each Mage had their stick covered in oil, Lana'thel ignited each one with a brilliant blaze.

"When we get into Hodir's chamber, what's really to stop him from putting us all in blocks again?" Lana'thel asked Illyria.

"Once Skorrn and the troops are freed, throw all the torches together to make one big bonfire. If we all stay near the fire, then Hodir's icy assault should be kept in check. And even if we are entombed, a fire as mighty as the one we're going to create should quickly thaw us." Illryia said quickly. Lana'thel nodded.

"Mages! Follow Lana'thel's commands. Keep the fires going while the rest of us attack Hodir! Everyone else, mind the cold, and move out!" Illyria barked.

Leading the way, she ran for Hodir's chamber. She could feel the fire from the torches on her back.

_Hang on Skorrn, we're coming._ She thought.

_My…champion…will…not…fail…me…Hodir…will…freeze…your…bones…mortal…_


	11. Winds of the North

_Chapter 10_

Illyria and the rest of the expedition came to a halt outside of Hodir's main chamber. They had run from the Conservatory of Life and were winded. The Mages under Llana's command conjured up some refreshment tables for the rest of the forces. The torches which had been ignited in the Conservatory still blazed.

"Remember, Mages, maintain the bonfire and free anyone frozen by Hodir. We must quickly thaw the Horde." Llyria boomed.

The troops quickly mobilized and stood ready.

_You…shall…_

"Attack!" Illyria screamed, throwing her shield at Hodir.

_…fail…_

Illyria and the Alliance footmen charged towards Hodir. The Warriors used their paralyzing techniques to keep him in place while the Rogues applied as much poison to him as possible, hoping to do as much damage as possible in the shortest amount of time.

Llana and the other Mages quickly went to work creating a bonfire and melting the Horde soldiers out of their icy prisons. She found Skorrn and made sure to free him first. He immediately came to life and nodded his thanks to Llana. Methodically, the Mages, under Llana's command, freed all the soldiers. Though wet and chilled to the core, the soldiers joined the fight against the Titan.

A roaring bonfire blazed strong in the center of the room, with the flames nearly reaching the ceiling. The sudden introduction of heat into the environment negatively affected the room's architecture. The ice crystals that hung from the ceiling, formed by thousands of years of biting cold, began to melt and their connection to the ceiling began to thaw.

Less than a minute after the bonfire reached its fiery potential, the ice that layered the ceiling began falling to the ground.

Time was key in freeing Hodir from Yogg-Saron's control. Illyria hoped that Hodir would indicate to them when he was free from the Old God's control, afraid that they would do more damage than needed.

"Intruders! The winds of the north will shatter your bones!" Hodir boomed as began sucking the air towards him.

"This is it! He'll freeze us all now." Llana cried.

As Hodir sucked all the air in, more of the ceiling collapsed, forming raised platforms on the floor. Skorrn had an idea.

"Get on the ice mounds! Get on the ice mounds! The wave of air won't reach that high!" He yelled, climbing up the nearest mound.

The soldiers of the expedition climbed onto the mounds of ice on the floor, hoping the high ground would spare them from Hodir's blast of ice. The Titan unleashed his frozen fury, freezing only a few stragglers who had yet to follow Skorrn's orders.

The Mages quickly freed those trapped on the ground and directed their attention back to maintaining the bonfire, which lost some potency during Hodir's assault.

The footmen, led by Illyria hopped of the mounds and resumed their attack against Hodir.

_Stop…stop…_

Illyria shook of the Old God's whispers and doubled her efforts against Hodir, who began to sway.

"Enough! This ends now!" Hodir screamed, slamming his fists into the ground, shattering the mounds of ice that the soldiers hid on. Then, he raised his fists into the air and began to channel another blast of frozen fury.

"End this now, lok'tar ogar!" Skorrn boomed.

This time Hodir's assault took longer to charge than before. The room shook and the walls began to fall apart. The Titan's concentration drew all the debris and ice in the room to him.

_He's not going to freeze us,_ Skorrn realized, _he's going to impale us._

"HARDER!" Skorrn screamed. The Mages stopped maintaining the bonfire and directed their assault towards Hodir. The Titan's concentration suffered when the Mages unleashed on him and all the debris that surrounded him crashed to the floor.

Hodir screamed began to swat at the mortals that stood at his feet.

"You have taken just one of my champions. The others will not fall as quickly as this pathetic fool!" Hodir bellowed.

_Yogg-Saron's giving up control!_ Illyria thought.

"Stop! Stop! Break off the attack!" She screamed. The footmen immediately halted their attack and the spellcasters followed accordingly.

Hodir fell to his knees and let out another horrifying scream. He put his hands on his head and closed his eyes. After a few agonizing seconds, the scream stopped and Hodir opened his eyes. He saw Illyria and stood up.

"What…have…I done?" He asked quietly, looking at his hands.

"You were under the control of Yogg-Saron, Titan. We freed you." Illyria responded calmly, her weapon still clutched in her hand.

"Please forgive my weakness." Hodir said, hanging his head.

"Where is your sigil?" Skorrn asked, approaching the Titan.

"What?" Hodir was dazed.

"Your sigil. We require it." Skorrn repeated sharply.

Hodir turned and walked over to the rear wall of his chamber. He slammed his fist into the ice wall and thrust his arm inside. He retracted his arm with a brilliantly glowing disk in his giant hand. It pulsed bright blue and waves of frost emanated from it.

"I assume you seek to gain access to the Old God's prison?" He asked, reluctantly presenting his sigil to Skorrn.

"Yes. We're also seeking to gain access to the Celestial Planetarium." Illyria offered, while Skorrn walked away with the sigil. Hodir seemed startled by her knowledge of the Planetarium.

"Has Algalon been summoned?" He asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Yes. You and the rest of the Keepers became corrupted by the Old God and his influence has begun to spread. We're going to kill Yogg-Saron and try to convince Algalon that the planet does not need reorigination." Skorrn retorted.

"So it's my fault that the planet will be destroyed?" Hodir said quietly.

"Nonsense. We'll stop it. But we could use some help." Illyria suggested.

"Of course. What do you need me to do?" Hodir replied cheerily.

"We need your help in freeing the other Keepers." Skorrn said.

"Which of my Titan kin remain under the Old God's sway?" He asked bitterly.

"You are the first we've freed. We could use your help in…persuading…the others." Illyria responded.

Hodir nodded.

"It is best that we should free Freya and Thorim before engaging Mimiron. Though we are all powerful Titans, the mechanized and robotic horrors that no doubt guard Mimiron will be insurmountable without the help of the other Titans." He asserted.

"Let's get moving then. We haven't much time. Whom shall we free first?" Illyria asked.

"I would guess that Freya will be the easiest to convince. She is the most benevolent of us and I would imagine that Yogg-Saron's sway over her might not be as strong as mine." The Titan postulated.

"Very well. Soldiers of the Horde, to the Conservatory of Life!" Skorrn boomed.

The Alliance soldiers looked at Illyria who nodded. The expedition, with Hodir among their ranks, set off towards the Conservatory of Life. Skorrn presented the sigil to a low-level soldier and ordered that it be delivered to Brann who was resting back at the camp.

* * *

Illyria once again stood in the lush Conservatory of Life; however, this time she had the power of the Horde and the ice Titan to support her.

"Where is Freya?" She asked, scanning the vast garden that stretched on for miles. Hodir stepped forward and searched the garden as well.

"I am uncertain. She may be disguising herself as one of the plants." Hodir suggested. "We need to force her to show herself."

"How will we do that?" Skorrn asked.

"Deforestation." Jacob responded before the Titan could say it. "We'll have to destroy this place."  
Sadness fell over Illyria's heart. The Conservatory was a beautiful garden and it would pain her to destroy it.

"This place is vast. It'll take us at least a day to cover the entire place." She offered, trying to save the garden.

"So be it, we've got time until Algalon arrives, and this is the only way to find Freya." Jacob responded.

"How long until the Herald of the Titans arrives?" Hodir asked nervously.

"Just under forty hours." Skorrn responded, glancing at an hourglass he kept in his robes. "We'd better split up, designate a group to go with each Mage."

"Absolutely not. If one group that's an hour away from another group finds Freya…" Illyria started.

"The woman makes a point." Hodir offered.

"We'll be more secure traveling in one big group." Illyria concluded. "We should also think about letting the soldiers get some rest. They haven't had any rest since the night we killed the Flame Leviathan. It's starting to show."

Skorrn hadn't even felt the effects of exhaustion until Illyria pointed out just how hard they'd been working.

"Let's give them five hours to sleep, wash up, and eat." Skorrn decided.

Illyria nodded and sent Jacob to send the order to the troops. Though the troops were back a few hundred years, Skorrn and Illyria heard the cheer that erupted when Jacob informed them of their rest.

"Rest mortals, you look weary." Hodir said calmly.

"I think I shall. What will you do in the time being?" Illyria asked, yawning.

"I'll go look for Freya, maybe I can find some traces of her somewhere so we know where to start." The Titan suggested.

Illyria and Skorrn nodded and Hodir set off into the vast jungle.

For the first time since their late-meeting on the first day, Skorrn and Illyria were alone.

"Have you come to a decision on who your candidate for Val'anyr will be?" Skorrn asked.

"Vilena, the Draenei Priestess. She's one of our most gifted healers and dedicated officers. I feel comfortable giving her such power. How about you? Who will represent the Horde?" Illyria asked, suspecting that she knew the answer.

"I've been selected by the other officers. I was selected from a pool of several candidates. It will be a great honor to be considered for the weapon." Skorrn said. Illyria detected an air of false humility, but did not comment on it.

What she said next nearly knocked the wind out of Skorrn's body.

"You will wield Val'anyr." She decided calmly.

"I thought we were letting Brann decide?" He said, shocked.

"Brann is under enough stress as it is. This will be one less decision he has to make. Varian will be furious that I let the Horde temporarily wield such a powerful weapon, but I think it's for the good of the expedition." She whispered.

"Well. Thank…thank you, Illyria. That's very noble of you. I…would be…unable…to make a similar decision." He said honestly.

"Yes, I know." She nodded.

There was an awkward pause between the two. Neither wished to acknowledge guilt for the clash after Kologarn's defeat.

"Enjoy your rest, Illyria." Skorrn said, assuming a meditative pose.

"You're not sleeping?" She said, laying down on the ground, removing her tabard.

"No. I can receive more energy from meditation with the Earth Mother than I can through mere rest." He said, closing his eyes.

Illyria shrugged and decided to sleep on the platform overlooking the Conservatory. The view was beautiful and the sunlight warmed her, beckoning her to sleep. She bunched up her tabard and formed a pillow, falling asleep just as her head came to rest on the impromptu pillow.

* * *

Illyria was woken up by the sound of an approaching thunder. She bolted upright and scanned the foliage. Skorrn was awakened by sound as well and stood up, alert. Both their hearts pounded.

Out from the tree-line burst Hodir, flowery sentinels in-tow. He quickly froze them all and shattered their brittle bodies. He turned and ran towards the two commanders.

"Well? Did you find Freya?" Skorrn asked.

"Yes. She rests at a clearing, right near a bend in the river. It's not very far from here." He responded.

"How long have you been gone for?" Illyria asked, attempting to gauge how long they had been asleep.

Hodir held a hand up to the sun and curved his hand. Skorrn did the same. Illyria was confused by the motion and desperately awaited their response.

"At least eight hours." Skorrn responded. Hodir nodded in agreement.

_Thrity-two hours remaining. There's no more time for resting_. Illyria cursed her exhaustion.

_Time…wasted…_

Illyria shook her head and ran to Skorrn.

"I'll go fetch Jacob and the others." She said.

"No need, lass!" A voice boomed from behind her. She turned around to see the entire expedition, led by Jacob, Zubra'Jin, and Brann arriving at the Conservatory.

"Ye lazy bones have rested lon' enough. We've got work te do." Brann joked. Illyria smiled while Skorrn rolled his eyes. She ran to the Dwarf and bent over to whisper something in his ear.

"I've come to a decision about Val'anyr. Give it to Skorrn." She whispered.

Brann was shocked, but nodded his head.

"Hodir knows Freya's location, we must be off!" Illyria boomed. "Lead the way, Titan!"

Hodir led them to forest that covered most of the garden.

"The way is narrow, but mostly free of danger. Follow me. It won't be long until we face Freya." Hodir said, running into the woods.

Skorrn rallied his soldiers and ran after the Titan.

_She's…plotting…against…you….She…must…die…_

Skorrn knew the Old God was trying to break him but was finding it harder and harder to resist his whispers.


End file.
